Girls Dead Rise: War of California
by SeekerMeeker
Summary: Miho thought that she and her friends were in California just to showcase their Senshadou to the American audience. However, when an aberrant epidemic broke out, and the whole state was quarantined, she and her friends now faced a world unlike anything they had ever seen...now COMPLETE! [GuP is the property of Actas. OC's are mine. Pic is SovietKitty's.]
1. Chapter 1: Nightmare Twins

**Greetings! This is SeekerMeeker, and I am not sure about how this will go, but I decide to work on another fantasy version of GuP! This time, it...well, I think I am going to give too much away.**

 **Note: This story will be my effort, other than "Welcome to America, GuP," to actually write and publish a story someday. Hence, readers who have no knowledge of "Girls und Panzer" should be able to enjoy this, as well.**

* * *

 **Updates**

 **-This chapter is revised and edited for quality improvement. I appreciate every review and PM on how to make this better. Thank you!**

 **-I am no tank expert, so this story will not feature much tank mechanics or long tank warfare scenes. I appreciate any help with tank warfare and tactics, though.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **By SeekerMeeker**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Nightmare Twins**

 **Oarai, Japan**

 **1:00 PM; July 4, 20XX**

 _She heard screams. Screams of anger. Screams of pain. Screams of desperation._

 _"Miporin!" a girl called out to her._

 _"Miho-san!" another voice whispered._

 _"Nishizumi-dono!" another called out._

 _"Miho-san..." a nervous voice echoed._

 _She opened her eyes. Thousands of people ran past her. She stared around, confused. Then, she saw them._

 _They swarmed over the humans, tearing them apart. They dragged people down, and something red splattered on the walls nearby. In the distance, she saw something._

 _"Onee-chan!" she called out. "Sis! Older sis!"_

 _She ran to her sister, who was wrestling with one of them, who was trying to overwhelm her. She came just in time, kicking the attacker, who then fell down._

 _"Watch out!" her sister screamed._

 _She turned, but it was too late. Another attacker came, grabbed her throat, and-_

"Miporin!"

"Eh?"

* * *

Miho woke up, rubbing her eyes.

"Wow," she whispered. "What a dream."

An average-sized Japanese girl, she sported light brown hair that reached to her shoulders. Her bright, brown eyes looked almost orange; although round and sweet, they bore the glint of a natural leader.

She shook herself, and looked around.

She and her friends sat in a huge stadium, with the audience circling around it in a semi-circle. In the center, three members of the Student Council, the top leader of the whole school, spoke.

"Are you alright?" asked one of her friends, with an eye of concern.

"Oh!" Miho realized, rubbing her eyes. "So-sorry, Saori-chan. I-I guess I slept."

"It's OK," said Saori, who played with her long, ginger hair that looked very orange in color. "But you look scared. Sigh, if only I had a boy to wake me up..."

Takebe Saori is a girl who looked more like a "typical boy-chaser." Although cute in appearance, she loved to give advice on how to get boys' attention. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, she had no dating experience, so far.

"You do look pale," a tall, elegant girl with long, flowing, black hair calmly remarked.

"Yes," Miho sighed. "Hana-chan, sorry to make you all worry."

Isuzu Hana was the tallest of her group. Her long, jet-black hair reached down to her hip, and black eyes that glowed almost like gems. Distinctly, she had a single "antenna" of hair that stuck out, and curved down like a cockroach, but prettier.

"You sure look ready for something," a girl with fluffy, brown hair said, jumping a little in her seat. "As if ready to fight."

"You're right," Miho grinned sheepishly. "Yukari-san, thank you for your concern."

Akiyama Yukari was a girl with the fluffiest hair not only in her group, but perhaps even in her whole school. Both her hair and her eyes were dark brown, but they expressed her expressive nature. Indeed, she was a tank fanatic, and she was more concerned with collecting tank accessories than with trimming her hair.

"Why did we wake her?" asked a sleepy girl, leaning forward with her long, black hair waving around like hanging vines. "She slept, while you all did not allow me to."

"Mako!" Saori groaned, shaking her long-time friend. "We thought that she won't, but she did."

One look, and almost anyone could tell Reizei Mako from a glance. Mako was the laziest girl in her group, which was composed of five members, with her being the last to join. She had long, black hair that reached down to her hip, with a white headband on it. Her dark hazel eyes expressed a life of lethargy, in the morning, that is. However, her lazy demeanor belied her genius; she was the smartest girl in the entire school.

"You intelligence," said Saori, shaking her to keep her awake. "Is no excuse to sleep, especially now!"

"I have low blood sugar level," said Mako nonchalantly. "Remember?"

"We'll get a dessert after this meeting," Miho said, smiling.

"Really?" Mako smiled, waking up a little.

"Please," Saori groaned. "You just ate a popsicle in the morning!"

"Ladies aaannnnddd gentlemen!" a petite girl with reddish-brown pigtails called on the stage. The five friends turned to pay attention to their President.

The President was a petite girl, with long, twin ponytails of reddish-brown color, and a wide smile. Her white teeth kept cracking a bite out of a piece of dried sweet potato. She stood in the middle, all spotlights on her. Side by side are her two closest friends: on her right stood a cold-looking, tall girl with a monocle. She had short, black hair, which fit her well. On the President's left stood a rather voluptuous girl with a large, brown ponytail, bearing a sweet smile on her face.

"There are no boys here," Saori groaned. "President, please stop tricking us!"

Miho giggled, as others around Saori grunted in agreement.

All five of them, and everyone around (including the Council on stage), wore school uniforms that looked vaguely military, blackish-blue with white collars and white skirts. They and all others also wore the same uniforms. However, the five friends were the only ones to have a strange emblem on their backs: a pink fish. A cartoonish, cute pink Anglerfish.

"Cheer up!" the President roared at her microphone. "So anyway, let's get to the point: I, President Kadotani Anzu, have gotten an amazing request!"

Kadotani Anzu was the President of her school; hence, she commanded the attention of her whole group. Despite this, she was not the leader of the club that she gathered; that honor belonged to Miho. For now, however, Anzu took the stage.

The audience sighed in relief. The previous 20 minutes was boring, with the President saying random words of wisdom and praise. Miho now understood that it was so boring, that even _she_ dozed off into sleep.

"We got a request," the monocled girl declared, fixing her glass. "That a nation outside of ours wants us to tour our tank club around."

The monocled girl was Kawashima Momo. Momo was the tallest of the three top leaders of the Student Council. She was the Public Relations manager, so she normally did much of the talking. Her monocle on her right eye was her distinct feature.

"Really?" everybody roared from the audience seats. Now, everybody was fueled with passion.

Miho smiled. She was glad to see her own club look so passionate and happy.

"It's amazing," the ponytailed girl said, panting a little. She was Koyama Yuzu, the vice president of the trio. Despite this, she did much of the paperwork and the actual work of the Council; hence, despite her cheerful demeanor, she easily got tired.

"But...Anzu has no idea who," she admitted.

The crowd went silent, then murmured in complaint.

"Prez!" Momo roared. "Did you even OPEN the letter? You just told us somebody told you! But not this?"

"Eh..." Anzu averted her eyes. "I know that we're going to get a request, from somebody who called, telling me that I was going to get a letter...but...I want it to be a surprise..."

Everybody in the audience seat groaned. Miho blinked.

 _That is odd of her_ , she thought. _Anzu normally would confidently open the letter, and tell us sooner. Why didn't she do that?_

"Hey-hey!" Anzu called out. "OK! I also intend for our leader, the leader of our Tank sport team, to open the actual letter! Nishizumi Miho!"

"Y-yes! I am coming!" Miho responded. She jumped out of her seat, and jogged to the stage. Her Anglerfish emblem flashed a little in the spotlight.

 _So that's why_ , she thought. _She wanted ME to open it; that's why she was acting a little strange right now._

"Nishizumi-dono!" multiple voices cried from the audience. "Hooray! Our Nishizumi-dono! Miho our Savior of the School!"

"BE QUIET!" Momo roared, and the room was silent.

"Cheer up," Yuzu told her, gigging. "Momo-chan."

"Stop calling me that!" Momo roared. "Yuzu-chan, how many times did I tell you to NOT add that honorific at the end?"

"You did it, too," said Miho and Yuzu together. The two blinked at each other, and gave small smiles to each other. Momo turned red, as the audience laughed and giggled in the background.

"Arghh!" Momo groaned. "OK, you two win!"

"Anyway," said Miho. "Prez, do you-"

"Just call me Anzu," Anzu waved off. "And no honorifics attached. You saved our school, twice! You saved us in the official nationwide tournament, then saved our school again against the Selection University."

Everybody nodded in firm conviction. Miho nodded, too. She remembered how crazy this year had been...

 _It's been only about a month ago, but Miho was the key to saving the Oarai Girls High School. In Japan, due to a huge economic boom long ago, high schools and up now were located on massive ships called school ships. The smallest being at least a mile long, these titanic creations were designed to encourage young high school students, especially girls, to train and become the "best women" they could be. The Oarai Girls High School was one of these. However, a man of authority in the MEXT, an organization that oversaw the school ships, attempted to shut down their school._

 _Miho transferred to this school not long ago, in order to avoid a sport that she formerly hated. However, the Council forced her into it, only for her to eventually like it. Then, she led her club to win the school back, twice. It was a crazy year, but everything worked out in the end. Now, she was called the "Legend" of the sport, the one sport that she now liked..._

"Senshadou," Miho said aloud with a dreamy tone. She blinked, realizing that everybody was watching her. She was speaking through a microphone, as well. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Oops," she mumbled. "S-sorry."

Giggles echoed from the audience, as Miho stretched a little to ready herself.

"Yes," Anzu said. "Senshadou. Known as the 'way of tanks,' it is a sport unlike any sport."

"Using tanks!" Yukari roared from the audience. "To beat other tanks!"

"Pipe down," Miho called from the stage, causing the cheerful girl to cool down. "Yukari, we already know it."

"Aw, come on!" Yukari said. "Aren't we going to have fun?"

"Which is why," Anzu said. "We're letting our great leader Miho open the letter."

"Oh! Oh...OK," she answered.

Miho reached out for the letter, and inspected it. It looked like any letter, white and plain, except with an American stamp on it.

"Feels thin," she noted.

"Need a knife?" Yuzu asked, rummaging into her pockets. "Strange, I thought I had one..."

"I don't think so," Miho said, checking her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Momo retorted impatiently.

"Checking my fingers," Miho said the obvious, leading to a few giggles from the audience.

"This is no girly matter!" Momo roared, causing more giggles to erupt from the crowd. Momo blushed.

"You do that too," Yuzu said. "Momo-chan."

"Hey!" Momo roared and blushed even harder, getting into a friendly argument with her friend. The audience then focused on the duo, as Miho smiled and continued to inspect the letter. Anzu merely shrugged, and went off-stage to find a blade to open the letter.

"Something's odd about this letter," she mumbled to herself. "Feels a little too...secure for a mere piece of mail."

"Just open it!" Momo groaned, as she continued to bicker.

"Wait," Miho said, checking her fingers. "I think this will do..."

Miho felt the edges of the letter, then peeled the top edges very finely.

A few girls in the crowd pointed out.

"Look!" one of them yelled. "Miho cut it with her bare hands!"

"Wait a second!" Momo cried out. "You opened it without any blade or scissors?!"

Everybody then immediately turned to look at their leader, who calmly took out the mail contents. At first, everyone was silent, then many girls erupted into cheers, with oohs and aahs everywhere.

"That's the Nishizumi right there!" Yukari cried out.

"Oh boy!" a few girls cheered, as if they saw a male celebrity coming in.

"Guts!" a group of female athletes roared, throwing up volleyballs.

"Stop that!" three girls, who all looked like triplets, yelled at them; they were the Public Morals Committee, in charge of maintaining order.

"Eh..." Momo hesitated. "That was...quite sharp."

"I got the blade!" Anzu said casually, walking back unto the stage. "I am...oh, you already cut it? Man, that's the Nishizumi right there!"

"Hehe, "Miho giggled. "Thanks, Pre-I mean, Anzu."

"OK!" Anzu spoke on the microphone to calm the crowd. "So, what's on the letter, Miss Nishizumi?

"It says," she began. The audience stared at her, as she read through each sentence.

Miho looked at it, read it, read it, and read it again. Her calm, sweet face gradually changed to a look of surprise; her large, round eyes grew in size, to the point when they looked like the size of oranges. Sweats poured down from her forehead. A whole minute passed, before Miho managed to even say something.

"Oh my..." she finally said. "This is unbelievable."

"Wh-what?" everybody asked.

"I..." Miho tried to say, but kept sweating. "Wow..."

"Take your time," Anzu said. "Take your time..."

Breathing deeply, Miho straightened her posture, as the crowd of girls looked on. Even the few adults around stared, wondering what was going on.

"Alright," she finally said. The audience stared at her, tense.

"Here I go..." she said again. "But I am going to just say it in a few words, since the letter is quite long."

"OK!" said Anzu and the others.

"What is it?" Momo asked, impatient.

"We're not just going to a country," Miho managed to blurt out. "We're going to star in a state."

"Which state?" the whole crowd asked.

"We," said Miho. "Are going to California."

The whole crowd erupted, and it took a whole minute for it to settle down, after Momo turned her microphone's volume to max level to tame the uproar.

"Not just California," she continued, after the crowd settled down. "The person who signed it will personally come and greet us. That person is..."

When the last words left her mouth, the crowd exploded into a huge uproar, so loud that it drowned out even Momo's own microphone voice. Anzu casually strolled to Miho, a huge grin on her face. Miho silently gave her back the letter. In it was the last few words:

 _Signed,_

 _Abel Benford, the President of the United States of America_

* * *

 **San Andreas Lab #Classified**

 **Somewhere in California...**

 **2:00 AM; July 4, 20XX**

"It's Fourth of July," a scientist with pale skin and blue eyes groaned. "And we have to work overtime!"

"Pipe down," another scientist, whose dark skin and black eyes glowed in the fluorescent lights, told him. "We're making lots of money with this, you know?

"You're right," the white man sighed. "At least we'll get rich from this in only a few months."

"But I have to admit," the black man said. "This job is so mysterious; we're in charge of this program of sort."

"A secret program," the white man retorted. "But this thing _is_ intriguing..."

The two stared up at the machine. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie, as it featured a round circular "thing" in the middle. It looked like a giant, white table covered in a huge lens that was deep blue in color. Above the white-and-blue machine hovered a light magenta orb.

"It really looks like the Sun," said the white man. "Except sinister and mysterious."

The magenta orb shone, shooting out strange rays of its purplish color, so that it really looked like a miniature version of the Sun. Some of the rays, however, split into three rays of white, red, and blue. They danced in the air, before returning back into the orb.

"Oh, shush," said the black man. "Joseph, you're such a coward."

"Am not!" he retorted. "But to be honest, this floating orb of weird energy is unlike anything we've ever seen."

"Quite right," the black man said. "And we just watch over it."

"And Rudolf," Joseph said. "What do you think this is?"

"Dunno," Rudolf replied. "To be honest, I was a janitor when they hired me out. Now, I am paid millions of dollars to keep this a secret. All I know is that it's nicknamed the 'Light Magenta Orb,' or short for LMO."

"LMO..." Joseph mused. "An odd, lame name."

"Quite right," whispered Rudolf. "But don't say that in public!"

"But I wonder what it is really," pondered Joseph. "A mad scientist's invention?"

"Shush!" Rudolf whispered angrily. "Don't gossip about our boss or company! I don't want to get fired."

"Still," Joseph admitted. "We've been paid to keep quiet for so long. All we do is check this LMO thing, and make sure it does not cause earthquakes or something."

"And they say," Rudolf began, trying to remember something. "That this orb of energy has the power to change the world. Some kind of a 'God Particle' or something that is beyond anything."

"And both of us," Joseph added. "Are not even told what it does, where it came, or what is even its PURPOSE in the first place!"

Both men sighed.

"Curiosity kills the cat," said Joseph. "I wish they will tell us, before we do something. And what was our company's name again?"

"I remember," began Rudolf. "That it was-"

"Boss!"

The two turned around, and frowned in unison.

"What is it now?" groaned Joseph.

"Professors!" an assistant, young for his age, with brown hair and tanned skin called out to them. "Great news!"

"What news?" asked Rudolf sarcastically.

"I've managed to get the files!" he whispered to them slyly. "About what this energy orb-thing is!"

"Really?!" both men responded in disbelief. The two men turned to each other, then grinned at their young assistant.

"Alright!" said Rudolf, getting the files. "Let's check them out!"

* * *

The three men spread out the files on a table.

"How did you get them?" asked Joseph, as he and his partner rummaged around the paperwork.

"I got them," he whispered. "I bribed the security guards. Apparently, they get less paid than we do, so I gave them huge amounts of cash, and they allowed me to sneak through!"

"And?" asked Rudolf.

"And I gave them a free copy of a movie," the assistant replied. "I recall that it was 'Night of the Living Dead.' A classic."

"Are you kidding?" asked Joseph, annoyed. "That old movie?"

"But it's amazing!" the assistant declared. "It's the one that started the zombie craze in the US! Now, it's emulated and spread from around the world!"

"What an old thing," Rudolf grunted, causing the assistant to growl. "But these files...they don't seem suspicious."

They kept rummaging through the piles of paper, and one of them fell to the floor. Henry lunged for it, but Rudolf caught it and looked at it. He frowned.

"Some Japanese girls coming to US?" he read. "To showcase Senshadou?"

"It's a type of sport," said Henry, fidgeting. "Where girls drive WWII-era tanks to fight each other."

"A violent yet non-violent type of sport," said Joseph. "And one where only girls play, not boys. Man, what's up with Japan?"

"I remember that in the US," said Rudolf. "That we're trying to turn our own version into co-ed or something. Then, the whole thing got cancelled after 9/11. Now, the President is trying to revive it back."

"I am so excited!" Henry cried out.

"Hey! Joseph retorted. "We're getting off-topic! Anyway, Henry, are you sure these files are the right ones?"

Henry frowned, as he rummaged through the files.

"I deliberately 'borrowed' a lot," he said. "In order to hide something."

"Something?" the men asked.

"Here it is!" Henry yelled out loud, taking out a strange, red piece of paper. It had a single, huge word colored gold in the middle: LMO

"Odd," both scientists observed it.

They opened it and read the content. Their faces raised their eyes in confusion. Joseph even tilted his head to his left.

"Eh?" Joseph asked. "A type of mysterious energy that is supposed to 'give life to non-life'? What is this, a hoax?"

"No," said Rudolf. "It says something about an orb of purplish mass discovered somewhere between Africa and the Middle East. According to this file, it is supposed to...reanimate the nonliving?"

The three men were silent.

"***, no!" Joseph declared. "This is ridiculous! They're basically keeping us watch over a strange orb that can bring back the dead?"

"It says here," said Rudolf, pointing to a title with a shaking finger. "The codename is: 'Operation Revival.' A project to use this to revive what was long gone."

"How did they find it?" asked Joseph. "And more importantly, we've been told to guard something that can actually revive?!"

"I guess so," Henry replied, shrugging. "That makes sense."

"Why?" the two scientists asked.

"We three are all orphans," said Henry.

The lab interior was silent, except for the occasional humming sound that echoed from the Orb. It kept spinning and spinning, the rays dancing on the surface.

"You're right..." Joseph said.

"That's why we're hired..." Rudolf realized, sitting down. "So that we don't...dare think about..."

"Reviving our own relatives," Joseph finished him. "If we have any."

"I am sorry," said Henry, sighing. "I realized that earlier, but did not tell you all, for fear that it could...well, you know."

"Enough said," Joseph began, his voice a low growl. "What will-"

The screens all around started to shake, and one blared:

WARNING! SEISMIC WAVES DETECTED.

Looking up, the three men watched in horror, as the Orb started to glow blood-red. Its waves of energy suddenly moved and jumped throughout the orb, just like the solar flares from the Sun.

"Push it!" Henry screamed, and the scientists ran without question. The three dashed to three buttons on a control board, and each pushed it.

Three arms, each equipped with what looked like three giant needles at the tip, appeared from three holes around the table-like machine. The arms focused on the orb, and each fired three types of laser: white, red, and blue. The orb suddenly calmed down, turned back to light magenta color, and everything was silent.

"Whew!" everybody sighed in relief.

"I do not want to imagine what could have happened next," Joseph panted, trembling. He sat down on a nearby chair, which groaned.

"A zombie outbreak?" asked Rudolf, left hand over his heart as he collapsed unto another chair. It creaked, grunting under the weight.

"Don't even go there!" Henry declared. "It's bad enough that I talked about something scary before; now, I do not want to see a rodent rise from the dead!"

"A rodent?" the two men asked. "We have no rodents here."

"Oops!" Henry realized, closing his mouth, but it was too late.

"Wait a minute," said Joseph, as he and his partner got up from their chairs. Henry squirmed into a corner.

"You didn't tell us?" asked Rudolf, growling. He and Joseph both approached their own assistant.

"And you said about the 'Living Dead' movie?" asked Joseph, cracking his knuckles. "Now that I remember, you normally were NEVER interested in zombie movies before..."

"I kept it!" Henry stammered. "It-it was amazing! A lone rat stumbled near the machine, apparently poisoned. I-I electrocuted it with a taser ray, which sent out a bolt of lightning to kill! Then-then..."

"And then let the machine revive it," Rudolf finished. "And you kept it, somewhere?"

Henry hesitantly pointed at a crack in a wall. Joseph wrestled Henry hard, while his partner slowly moved to the crack.

"P-please!" Henry said, struggling. "It-it was so friendly towards me! Seeing it poisoned made me sad! And-and-"

"And you revived your pet," Rudolf declared. "But this is what it has become!"

Rudolf tore the wall open with his bare hands. Despite its appearance, the wall was surprisingly fragile and ripped out easily. Inside was a cage made of thick glass, and the mutilated rat snarled and clawed at its cage. Its right eye was gone, filled in by something glowing green, while its left was bloody red. Parts of its body had overdeveloped muscles, which tore out of the skin. Its claws looked sharper and blacker than usual, leaving visible marks on the glass interior.

"A black rat," Rudolf noted. "So, this is what that 'reviving' orb does? It sure does NOT revive it!"

"We need to destroy that thing!" Joseph said. "And expose this to the world!"

"No!" Henry declared. "Not my rat!"

"No," Joseph corrected him. "The machine."

"Not that either!" Henry roared, pulling something from his left pocket, and fired it point-blank at Joseph.

"Arghh!"

Joseph got 50,000 volts of electricity coursing through his veins, as Henry leapt out, taser in hand. He then took out another weapon from one of his hidden pockets. This time, Rudolf backed away, as a cold steel barrel stared down at him.

"Well," said Henry, pointing his pistol at Rudolf. "Good thing that I also bribed the security, allowing me to bring in a gun."

"You..." Rudolf growled, raising his hands up. Joseph recovered, but emulated Rudolf, as Henry forced him to stick with Rudolf.

"That's right," Henry hissed with glee, forcing the two men to walk away to a corner. Still pointing his gun at them, Henry then caressed the cage, the rat snarling still inside.

However, Rudolf noticed something. The rat stopped clawing, and stared at the gun-wielding man, its remaining eye staring with a strange light.

"I am going to show the world," Henry declared, grinning maliciously. "That we humanity can finally live without fear of death."

"You're mad!" Joseph declared, hands still raised.

"Do you think so?" asked Henry. "You may not know me, but I am actually above you."

"What?" both men responded, aghast.

"You see," Henry explained. "Have you wondered why you don't know your immediate superior?"

"No," both men answered.

"I am," he answered. The two men gasped.

"No wonder you bribed the guards!" Joseph inferred. "You're their boss, too!"

"Yes," said Henry. "Now, since you already know about this orb a little _too_ much, I need to kill you."

He clicked his handgun, dropped his taser, and drew out a hand drill. He then triggered the drill, causing it to spin.

The rat suddenly stopped scratching, and watched the drill.

"But," Rudolf hissed. "What about your pet?"

"He'll be fine," Henry answered. "He's actually not a real rat."

The two men gasped.

"Wait a minute," Rudolf began. "You're the head of the genetic en...en..."

"Yes," Henry replied curtly. "You know, it wasn't easy to avoid the public eye, watching over us and preventing us from attaining the limits of evolution."

"Henry..." Joseph growled. "So, what do you want?"

"I think he's trying to use the Orb," said Rudolf. "To accelerate his genetic...experiments?"

"Correct," Henry said, cocking the gun. "Very correct.

Suddenly, the two men noticed something behind Henry, as he approached them.

"Henry..." Joseph tried to warn him.

"L-look behind you!" Rudolf cried in alarm.

"You cannot escape," Henry continued, ignoring the men's pleas.

"Look behind you!" Rudolf warned him again.

"Don't trick me," Henry said.

Unknown to him, the mutant rat twitched, then started to transform. The right fingers and claws rapidly fused together into what looked like a drill, and the rat grinned, as it pointed the tip at the glass. The glass started to break, as the organic drill somehow effectively broke through the hard glass.

 _How is that even possible?_ thought Rudolf. _That's one clever monster! I only see that kind in zombie games and movies! Am I dreaming?!_

"Henry!" Joseph roared, but hiccuped, as a shot rang. He walked back, then checked his chest. A single shot nailed right through the heart.

"You..." he began, but collapsed.

"Murderer..." Rudolf groaned.

"And you're next," said Henry, gun raised and slowly approaching. He still kept the drill on, the noise drowning out another noise: the organic drill that the demonic rat made.

"You don't even know what you're messing with," said Rudolf, eyeing the rat. The rat managed to make a hole, big enough for its head, but retracted to enlarge the hole further.

"And there is another thing I want to do," said Henry. "Once I make enough money, I am going to Japan."

"Japan?" Rudolf asked, startled. "Why-wait, the article about Japan!"

"Yes," Henry replied, grinning as he pointed the gun still at Rudolf's chest. "After all this is over, I intend to fund the Senshadou League, so that I greet those girls, and live a life full of luxury, life, and...girls."

"You're so power-hungry," Rudolf retorted.

"Haha," he answered with a low laugh, slowly readying the weapon. "You know this orb can fetch me infinite amounts of money. Then, I get what I deserve for the past few years: power, love, and immortality!"

"You lunatic," Rudolf growled. "You care about yourself, and not others?!"

"It sure has the power," grunted Henry. "You've seen the files; this thing will fetch millions in the stock market. And girls will fawn over me forever!"

"And millions will die?" retorted Rudolf. "All because of your experiments?!"

"It's science," answered Henry. "No more, no less, and a way to heal the human condition."

"And one way is to end the very nature of 'death' for good," said Rudolf, growling. "And you alone will get the credits, since you are directly responsible for this Orb."

"Quite right," said Henry, the gun still pointing. "Any last words? I will give you three, since you are quite smart."

"You," began Rudolf. The rat slowly squeezed out of its cage, while Henry wrapped his fingers around the trigger.

"Are." The rat managed to get out, then eyed the two living humans. Henry started to pull the trigger.

"Dead."

* * *

 **Welcome to the beginning of the apocalypse. Now, let me explain how this started out:**

 **I had amazing friends on FanFiction, talking with them, and discussing interesting topics and even personal lifestyles.**

 **However, I thank Trex98 for his generous support; it was while talking with him that I got a sudden burst of inspiration. What if you add Girls und Panzer with zombie apocalypse survival? And the rest is history.**

* * *

 **Furthermore, you will notice that this story has plenty of characterization of GuP characters; this is because this story is also intended for readers who do not know about the Girls und Panzer series much.**

 **Hence, in the next two chapters, I will let you GuP fans know which parts to skip, if you are not interested in the description of each GuP character. However, you may want to check them out, to see if I characterize each character well.**

* * *

 **I also give a shout-out to the following people:**

 **-aGuestfromGreece45 for his passion and contribution to the story.**

 **-Phantomwa1ker for his brutally honest opinion, which is why I revised specific scenes of the story, especially in this first chapter.**

 **-der Jagdexperte for his ideas on the fate of the tanks (I am not going to say it, since it will be a big spoiler)**

 **-Inceptor57 for his crazy ideas on the zombie apocalypse, including his zombie dream (yes, I unfortunately somehow caused him to have one).**

 **-NETGamer99, for his honest opinion on the first chapter.**

 **-DarthFii, for his amazing words of advice.**

* * *

 **Update: Starting this week, I intend to update and revise all of the first 10 chapters, in order to get ready for the "branching off" of my story! I decide that the story was getting too big, and am going to have multiple stories, each with its own plot. However, this story will be the "main" one!**

 **So then, panzer vor! And good luck out there!**

 **And happy Fourth of July! (spoiler alert: notice the colors of the orb)**

 ***As usual, please review, like, and follow. Every "point" of that is worth my time and effort. And thanks for all your hard work!***


	2. Chapter 2: They are Here

**Update: I am going to update each chapter until Chapter 10, then I can hopefully start publishing more chapters!**

 **And please, PLEASE review, like, follow etc.!**

 **Important note: This story's second and third chapters will STILL include a HUGE description of our favorite (and not-so-favorite) GuP characters. This is for non-GuP readers. If you do not like to read my own description, I marked that part with "XXXXXXX" and two horizontal lines sandwiching this sign. If you see it, just skip to the next "XXXXXXX," and the rest after that is important.**

 **Let me know if this helps, and let me know (especially through PM if reviews do not work) if you want them removed.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: They are Here**

 **Los Angeles Parade Warehouse**

 **8:00 AM; July 8, 20XX**

 _"Okaasan," she said aloud. "I am sorry."_

 _She saw them coming. A small group, then larger and larger._

 _"Okaasan," she said again. "If I survive, we'll see in Heaven."_

 _She was shielding a little girl from them, but the swarm was too much._

 _"Miss," the girl said. "I am scared."_

 _"Hold on," she told the little girl, letting her go for a while. "I am saving you."_

 _She kept rummaging the items around, desperate to find a weapon. They heard the sounds, and approached her._

 _"I can't find it!" she realized._

 _"I am scared..." the girl whimpered, watching in horror as they approached closer and closer._

 _"Please God!" she cried out. "Anything will do!"_

 _Desperate, she reached out for the only blade around, which had to be pulled by a string in order to work._

* * *

Brum-brum-brum-brum-brrrr!

* * *

"Miporin?"

"Miho-san?"

"Nishziumi-dono?"

"Miho-chan!"

"Mm...Hmm?"

"We're finally here!"

"Eh?" Miho woke with a start.

Brum-brum-brum-brrr!

The same noise in her nightmare roared in the background.

"What is that?" she asked, alert.

"Somebody's using a chainsaw," Mako answered nonchalantly. "To cut down a branch that got in the way outside."

Miho shook herself, and looked around. They were in a huge warehouse, which stored all of the tanks for the parade.

"Senshadou Tour," Miho remarked.

"Yes!" Saori cried out. "Finally! After a whole day's flight and a night of rest, we're ready for it!"

Indeed, Miho remembered that after the announcement, all of the Senshadou team in the school packed up and left for their flight to the US. She also remembered the uproar of the news; the whole school was shocked that the US President personally invited their school's Senshadou team.

"But so soon?" Mako groaned. "I feel extra tired..."

"But we now are more popular than ever!" Saori screamed. "And now we...ah...Hah! Man, why am I yawning?"

"Jet lag?" asked Miho, yawning.

Hana yawned, then Yukari.

"I think we all feel that way," Mako moaned, trying to fall asleep.

"Mako!" Saori pounded the wall with her fist, startling Mako. "We're not sleeping...ah...not again."

"We are all tired," said Miho, giggling and yawning at the same time.

Saori reluctantly nodded; everybody just flew in yesterday, and had little time to enjoy the downtown or any other areas of Los Angeles. In fact, everybody crashed into a deep sleep, which lasted for more than ten hours. Saori checked her military uniform.

"Say," she said. "We're the only ones with our cute animal motif on the back."

Miho looked at her back; she glimpsed the cartoonish picture of an Anglerfish, but painted pink.

"We are," Miho admitted. "I don't know why, but I guess it has to do with us being the leader of our whole club here."

"And we saved the whole school!" declared Yukari. "Twice!"

"Twice," Miho agreed. "So when did...ah...I think I will go for a walk, and check the others out."

Miho yawned out loud, and remembered that as a leader of the whole club, she was supposed to check everyone else around.

"You should," said Saori. "Parade starts in two hours, so we should have enough time. See how others are doing."

"Good idea," Miho said, without a second thought. "Then, I will walk around."

"Good luck!" the others replied. As she walked away, the girls chatted among themselves, while Saori tried to keep Mako awake.

* * *

"So," Saori said, changing her tone. "You heard that, right?"

"Yes," Hana replied. "She whispered something about saving a girl."

"And she made a noise!" Yukari said. "As if trying to give US a clue about what it is!"

"It sounds something mechanical," said Mako, who blinked with curiosity. "But even I was amazed that Miho mimicked the sound well."

"What was it?" asked Saori.

"A saw," Yukari replied. "The same sound as the one we heard the worker used to cut down a tree branch."

"A saw," Saori commented. "She must have been desperate enough to use a SAW against a human being?"

"Nope," Hana said. "She said something about 'them.' Now that I think about it, Miho never refer to humans, even very evil ones, as 'them.' She believes that all humans are equal."

"Which makes her nightmare," said Saori. "All the more creepy."

"Creepy..." Mako shivered. "D-don't go there."

* * *

Miho watched her team talk among themselves. She smiled, and somewhat bounced around, enjoying the dry but fresh air of Los Angeles.

"Ooh," she coughed. "A little too dry and hot."

Shaking herself, she saw a tall mirror nearby, and checked herself. She wore the same, darkish uniform as everybody else, the kind worn in their Senshadou matches. However, she and her four friends stood out in having their team mascot emblem on their back.

"Cute," she remarked. "A cartoonish but cute version of the Anglerfish."

"That's an Anglerfish?" a deep voice replied.

She turned around. A tall, pale-skinned man in full, black suit with a red-and-blue checkered tie smiled before her. He had white hair and piercing blue eyes, which were covered by his dark glasses.

Despite his face being partially hidden, Miho could tell that he was a gentle, nice man.

"He-hello!" Miho replied, bowing.

The man waved off.

"Come on," he said. "I like to be with people like you once in a while."

 _He seemed so nice and casual_ , Miho thought. _But I have a feeling that he's..._

Miho suddenly felt him come close to her face. He then lifted up his sunglasses, and winked with his right eye.

She blinked.

"Good thing you don't know me yet," he replied. "But let me spoil for you; hello, sweet girl. You must be that 'Legend,' Miss Miho Nishizumi, right?"

"L-Legend?" she asked. "W-what do you mean? Me as Legend?"

"I guess," said the man. "That any upset victory will sure to get a lot of attention, even in the US. Especially that news of the horribly unfair Selection University annihilation match."

"Ah!" she replied.

 _She remembered that: her school could only field eight tanks, while the University fielded 30 tanks. To make matters worse, it was an annihilation match, in which the winning team had to knock out_ **ALL** _of the enemy's tanks. Fortunately, Miho seemed to have a talent for making friends out of her enemies in her previous matches; all schools that saw her or fought against her brought their own tanks, in order to even the odds; now, both sides had 30 tanks._

 _Even then, it was still quite unfair for a match. The Selection University had more advanced gear than the Oarai's newly formed team. The University also was led by the main rival of Miho's family: Alice Shimada, the daughter of the Shimada clan, the only clan with a long history of rivalry against the Nishizumi family. The two were mutual "friendly enemies," who liked to challenge each other to see who was the better family in the realm of Senshadou. Both families were famous nationwide in Japan, as a result. Now, Miho's team had to fight against a team led by a Shimada._

 _Worst of all, the University was allowed to use weapons far stronger than Miho's allies had. Alice personally fielded a Centurion tank, a type of tank still in use even by some modern military forces today. Her team also was the first in the history of Japan to field the infamous Karl-Gerat._

"I see," the man said, watching her face in thought. "That Karl-Gerat was quite a monster."

"Eh?" Miho responded, startled. "You-you know what I was thinking?"

"Yes," he said, growling. "That man Renta Tsuji must have been a VERY unfair idiot to let that thing even be used in a match. That was not EVEN a tank; it was one gigantic artillery of demonic destruction."

Miho blinked.

"I saw that match on TV," the man admitted. "Boy, it was unfair that it took out some good tanks you girls had, before you all recovered and managed to take that tank out for good."

"It-it was not me who took down," she replied. "It was the Turtle Team who-"

He waved off again.

"You were the one who led that team to kill it," he said. "So, I congratulate you on teaching that idiot a lesson or two."

"Pl-please," she responded. "He was unfair, but he's a human."

"What a kind, humble girl you are," he said. "So, who's the Turtle Team?"

"Here," she told him, directing him to a light brown Hetzer with a stylized emblem of a turtle on its side.

"Ah," the man replied. "That's the tank that took that siege mortar down, eh? And mind you, before I have to go now, I am Abel Benford."

"Nice to meet you," she replied, shaking his hand. "Mr. Benford. Benford?"

"Miho!" Anzu called out from her tank; she was devouring a large piece of dried sweet potato. "Who were you talking to?"

"I was-" she began, but was startled to find him suddenly gone. "Huh?"

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

"Miho!" Anzu called out again. "Do you still have the letter? Make you keep it safe for the US Prez!"

"Oh yes!" she replied, searching through her pockets, and took out a carefully folded piece of paper. She sighed in relief, remembering that moment.

 _Miho remembered that day when she announced the letter. She still kept the letter, which was in her right pocket. The whole crowd screamed, to the point when Miho still remembered the echoes. Afterwards, Miho remembered folding the letter, and gave it to Anzu. Anzu, however, looked it over, and then gave it back._

 _"You are our leader," Anzu winked. "Show it to the President."_

"Show it to the President," she said out loud to herself.

"Me?"

"Oh, not you, Anzu," Miho responded. "And good morning, sorry about that."

She greeted the Student Council, who was technically the leader of her school, the Oarai Girls High School.

"And good morning to all of you," Miho greeted the whole group.

Unusual for a high school in Japan, each team in the Senshadou club of Oarai Girls High School was themed after an animal. Miho's team was the Anglerfish Team, while the Student Council composed of only three members: a President, a Public Relations manager, and a vice President. They wielded the most power in the entire school. Their team mascot was a turtle with some kind of a swirl below it; its shell was green in color.

Anzu, Momo, and Yuzu all came out of the tank, their own Hetzer. Looking like a small tank destroyer, the tank was formerly a smallish tank, which was fitted with a stronger, but stationary turret. It was sandy brown in color as well.

"They call you 'Legend' around here," she whistled. "Man, I wish I was as famous as you, Miho."

"Prez-I mean, Anzu," Miho replied, blushing. "We ALL did this together."

"But...sniff!" Momo cried. "That was TOO close! We almost lost it twice!"

"Hey-hey," Yuzu said, comforting her friend, giving her a handkerchief. "Momo-chan, we're safe now."

"Stop calling me that!" Momo roared, but blew into the American flag-themed cloth. "Hey, where did you get this?"

"A tall, white-haired guy gave it to me," Yuzu replied. "I wonder who he was."

"By the way," said Miho. "How are you all doing?"

"Great!" all three replied in unison. Miho was surprised to see something odd; all three smiled, even Momo.

"Wow," Miho replied, smiling. "Momo, you smiled."

"I did NOT!" she replied, blushing profusely. The others giggled.

"OK," said Miho, shrugging. "I guess I need to check on the others, before the parade starts. See ya!"

"After a while, alligator!" Anzu replied.

Miho blinked.

"You say, 'See you later alligator,' then I say, 'After a while crocodile,'" Anzu explained. "Although I messed it up."

Miho smiled, and backed away as the three close friends got into a friendly argument. She then turned around, and walked to the next team.

* * *

"Hai, captain!" the four girls saluted her.

Miho saluted back at the still-defunct volleyball team. Although they still could not revive their club, the Council did admit that more funds were flooding in, sparking the hope of revival of their club. They were the Duck Team, using a Type 89 I-Go tank, which looked like a light tank (it really was a medium tank) with an eagle-like duck emblem on the sides (the duck itself was white with a yellow beak). They were practicing their volleyball together when Miho interrupted them.

"Hi there," Miho replied, saluting rather reluctantly back. She was not used to being called "captain."

"They call you 'Legend' here!" the smallest of the four said out loud. Despite her size, she was actually the leader of her team. A short girl with short, brown hair and brown eyes to match, Noriko Isobe could pass for a boy; her boyish, coaching attitude also reinforced this image. She looked like a dwarf among giants in her team.

"Eh-eh..." Miho tried to respond. She did not realize that the rumors about her being "Legend" was a lot more widespread than she expected.

"Who told you that?" she finally asked.

"We heard it from a variety of people," a tall, buxom girl with pinkish-brown hair replied. She was Taeko Kondou, with a red bandanna on her hair wrapped like a ribbon, and with a gentle, sociable personality. She did a lot of talking, and a couple of American janitors took a liking of her.

"And they tried to flirt with you," a tall but slender girl with short, brown hair tied in a small ponytail replied. Miho heard her groan a little; she correctly guessed that Shinobu Kawanishi was secretly jealous of Taeko's ability to attract a number of foreign Americans. Indeed, she kept looking down at her flat chest, despite being the tallest of Oarai Senshadou girls. However, one of them attracted even more men than ALL of them combined.

"She's not the only one," Akebi Sasaki said nervously, looking around.

"Hello!" three tall American skateboarders waved at her from one of the doors; one of them whistled back.

Akebi hesitantly waved back, crouching a little in fear and embarrassment. The men nodded and left, smiling and laughing.

"She had a trouble getting away from them," Noriko admitted. "Man, I counted 27 men waving at her, whistling at her, and even approaching her at one time!"

"You're that popular?" Miho looked at Akebi. Akebi looked the least "Japanese" in her team. She was tall and buxom, like Taeko, but shorter and more buxom. Her long, blond ponytail was voluminous, reaching down to her hip like a golden waterfall. She also wore a white headband, which reminded Miho of Mako's headband.

"I can see why," Miho said. "You look like an American girl, something they call 'blond bombshell' or something."

"But it's scary!" Akebi admitted, on the verge of tears.

"But," said Miho. "You have to know when to say 'no' to them."

"I-I guess so," she replied. "But how?"

"See them?" Miho said, noticing a rather sizable crowd of men, looking over at the Duck Team. "Tell them to say 'no.' If they refuse, let them know that the managers will come and get them."

"We'll help her!" Noriko said, getting her whole team together in a hand-stack. "Akebi, let's go GUTS at them!"

"O-OK!" Akebi spoke out, breathing deeply and taking a serious face. "Let's give them some butts!"

Miho giggled, as the team went towards the group, ready to "defeat the men." She decided to go over to the next team.

* * *

"That's right!"

The four girls, calling themselves the "history buffs," spoke loudly, as they were speaking in front of a StuG III tank destroyer, which was famous for its strong cannon and a very low profile; it was an excellent type of ambush vehicle. It had an emblem of a blue hippo, with its butt facing in front. The Hippo Team was playing a sort of game, in which the "winner" was the one who knew something that none of them were experts on: American history.

"When was the Independence Day?" asked Erwin, a girl with short blond hair pointed like the ears of a fennec fox, capped by a peak hat modeled after her "soul name," Erwin Rommel (all four girls bore nicknames of someone they admired). She had a smirk on her face, confident that the question was difficult.

"Wait!" a girl with short, brown hair and eyes waved her left hand. She was the only one wearing a long, red scarf based on the Roman Focale; it helped that her nickname was Caesar.

"It's April 21!" she replied.

"Nope!" Erwin said, causing Caesar to groan. "It's July 4; it was already past!"

"Man," Caesar spoke, wiping her forehead with her scarf. "I messed up that date with the date of the founding of Rome!"

"Testing history?" asked Miho.

"That's right!" all four girls declared, saluting her. "The _Legend_ of the Japanese Senshadou!"

Miho saluted back, but blushed.

"Can't believe that you're rather well-known," said a girl with long, reddish-brown hair topped by a red headband with six golden circles on it. Saemonza was a fan of the Sengoku Period in Japan, so she had absolutely no idea on American history. She liked to carry a reddish-brown bow around, and had a habit of closing her left eye, as if she was aiming a bow.

"It helps that we have a little experience with early Americans-zeyo," said a girl with unruly black hair and a pair of very dark blue eyes, covered by her red eyeglasses. She wore a large, black jacket over her uniform, but unbuttoned and donned it rather like a cape. Unlike the other girls, she was a fan of the Bakumatsu Period of Japan, so she actually had the most knowledge about American history.

"Americans did come during the Bakumatsu Period," Miho said. "And why do you end with 'zeyo' in almost every sentence?"

"I guess the American culture was sort of cool," she replied. "And I guess it's habit to say 'zeyo' all the time-zeyo."

"Good luck then," said Miho, waving at them quickly and heading off. She realized that two hours could fly by quick, so had to hurry.

* * *

"Not again!" a girl with a loud voice groaned, shaking her head in disbelief.

"This is a card game, not a driving game, Karina," said her leader. "Focus and be careful."

"Hello there," Miho greeted them. Six young girls stood up, and climbed down their tank. It was an American tank called the M3 Lee, which looked quite tall due to having at least two cannons. It had a cute but fierce-looking pink rabbit emblem on each of its side, with red eyes and twin knives.

The six cute girls came down and saluted her, and Miho reciprocated. She knew what was going to happen.

"Hi there!" all six saluted her. "Legendary Miho!"

Miho silently shrugged, now more used to the label.

The Rabbit Team was perhaps the cutest bunch in her club; six first-year girls attracted a good number of men while they were traveling to the warehouse. American workers and volunteers fondly called them "Cute Bunny Tankers."

"We're quite nervous about this parade," the leader of them declared. She was Azusa Sawa, whom a couple of Americans mistook for Miho, because she physically resembled Miho (but her hair was darker in color), and her caring, level-headed personality also made her look like a natural leader.

"Have to admit," she said. "Some big guy with white hair and sunglasses approached me. He asked me whether I was Miho. I said no, and pointed to you."

"Oh," she replied, giggling. "I heard some people calling you 'second Miho' as well."

"Oh please," Azusa admitted, but smiled. "What brings you here, commander?"

"Just checking out," Miho answered, as she looked at her comrades.

Standing next to Azusa were her five other teammates. Ayumi Yamagou was the tallest and most mature-looking of the group; she was slightly taller than Miho, and had long, dark bluish hair with dark blue eyes. Despite this, she was quite youthful and carefree like her teammates, but had a more boyish personality. Hence, Ayumi was somewhat frustrated with having the personality of a tomboy, and the body of a nicely developed girl.

"I feel a little taller now," she blurted out, pulling down her uniform. "Man, some creepy guys approached me, too!"

The girl next to her nodded in agreement. Yuuki Utsugi was a short girl with short, black hair in some sort of a cute bob; she was definitely of a cute type. Despite this, she expressed some odd traits, such as randomly playing with some ropes around the warehouse, which she was doing now.

"But you're lucky," she said. "My former boyfriend still refused to come back. He said he'll come back, only if I quit Senshadou."

"Life is full of choices," Miho answered. "Sometimes, you have to choose one over the other."

"That sounds SO cool!" yelled a girl of the same height as Yuuki. Karina Sakaguchi had short, light brown hair and blue eyes that screamed out passion and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, she was quite impulsive and loud too.

"I saw so much of America from anime!" she roared, making both Miho and Azusa wince a little. "But the REAL America looks so much better!"

"Quiet down, please," Azusa shushed her.

"We ARE excited over this, though!" chimed in a girl with long pigtails of blond hair and brown eyes; she wore round, wide eyeglasses. Aya Oono was also youthful like the rest of her team; however, she was best known for her fondness for the Internet and cell phone; for some reason, she got flirted more online than on the streets.

"And Saki too!" she added in, to which Miho looked at a girl with short, grayish-brown hair and brown eyes.

Saki Maruyama was the strangest of her group; despite this, she was a loyal teammate like everybody else. She was extremely quiet, and had a habit of dispassionately staring into space, and also had an eye out for any random butterfly or moth around.

"I am in love," she suddenly spoke. "With a white man."

The girls stared at her.

"Ahem!" Azusa coughed. "Saki, did you tell him anything?"

Saki shook her head.

"Let us deal with this," Azusa said, grouping her team together. "Commander Miho, why not check the others?"

"OK," she replied. "But don't be hard on Saki."

"Will do," Azusa said, winking. Miho walked away, and heard the girls talk in a way that seemed to imply passion, rather than discipline.

* * *

"I cannot believe it!" a loud voice roared, as Miho approached a tank and three identical-looking people in front of it. "Now that we're in America, everyone's going nuts! Nobody's following dress code around!"

"Mallard Team?" she asked them.

The three girls turned around and saluted her. Their Char B1 bis tank was a heavy tank, which was the source of their team name; it actually looked like a mallard from the sides, so their team logo was a brownish mallard.

"Nishizumi-dono!" the leader of the three declared, stepping forward. "We're ready to go. But our teammates are going crazy here! And I keep telling them to call me Sono Midoriko, and Midoriko is my first name!"

"Calm down, Sodoko-san," Miho answered, giggling.

"Even you..." Sodoko groaned. "Using my nickname...Oh well, I can enforce that later. We are the Public Morals Committee, and apparently we do better in Japan than in the US."

"Americans do have public morals," Miho pointed out. "Just not of the same type as ours."

She looked at the other two, and mentally compared them to Sodoko. All three looked like triplets, with short, black hair and dark eyes. Sodoko, however, was the most outspoken in her team, and had sharp eyes to prove her sense of authority. On her right stood Moyoko Gotou (nicknamed Gomoyo), who had softer eyes and longer hair. On the left of Sodoko stood Nozomi Konparu (nicknamed Pazomi), who also had soft eyes, but her hair was the shortest of the trio.

"Gomoyo and Pazomi at your service," Sodoko declared, as all three saluted her. "But I am frustrated with everyone around calling you 'Legend' or something."

"I am now used to it," Miho said, shrugging. "But you seem bothered by it."

"You did save our school!" Sodoko declared, almost crying. "But 'Legend' seems like nothing short of a miracle!"

"Thanks," Miho said. "Oh yeah, I have to go and check the other teams! See ya!"

She left, as the trio continued their futile efforts to tell other teammates to behave.

* * *

"Girls?" Miho asked. She saw the Type-3 Chi-Nu, and remembered her awkward response at it. Months ago, it was parked alongside civilian cars, and few even realized that it was fully functional. Well, Miho remembered that it was a type of tank that was not even used in WWII, so she understood its rather enigmatic presence. The tank was bluish-gray in color, and was a medium tank. It was the tank of the Anteater Team, named because of its single, antenna-like rod on top of the turret, which looked like the tongue of an anteater. Their emblem of the anteater was rather fancy; the animal was white with a black torso (looking as if it was wearing a shirt) and holding a black rod with a long piece of yellow paper, as if celebrating.

"Nyaaaa," a voice echoed from the inside of the tank. Miho climbed up the tank, while the voices inside continued to speak.

"This is bliss," the same voice echoed, whom Miho recognized as Nekota. Nekota liked to finish some of her words with a verbal tic; hers was "nyaa," in imitation of the Japanese version of meow.

"Of course, momo," another voice boomed from the inside. Miho recognized that as Momoga, who often finished her words with a verbal tic "momo." Miho chuckled, realizing that it sort of reminded her of Momo from the Turtle Team.

"It is, piyo," the last voice echoed. Miho knew that one as Piyotan, because of her verbal tic.

"Girls?" Miho finally interrupted them.

"Oops!" three voices cried out, and Miho heard thumps and bumps, as the three online game fanatics climbed out of their mechanical heaven. Miho and the three members of the Anteater Team climbed down, and the girls saluted their commander.

"Commander Legend!" the girl with the longest hair spoke. Nekota was a tall, very slim girl; she was one of the few girls outside of the Duck Team who was quite tall for a Japanese. Her blond hair cascaded down past her hip, so it looked more like a curtain than hair. She wore swirly glasses and a headband with cat ears on it; despite her rather nerdy appearance, Nekota was quite beautiful whenever she took off her accessories.

"Hehe," Miho giggled nervously. "Well, I guess it feels weird to be called 'Legend.'"

"Aren't you so popular?" cried out the shortest of them. Momoga had one of the strangest senses of fashion; she had short, pinkish-brown hair with a peach-shaped eyepatch on her right eye. She was the only girl in all of the Oarai teams to have red boots that reached to her knees.

"You certainly are," said the last girl, sighing. "I sort of wish that I was popular."

Piyotan had gray hair, tied into a ponytail. With gray eyes and freckles, she seemed unusual. She was as tall as Nekota, but much more robust and buxom.

"Anything you need from us?" Nekota asked.

"No," Miho replied, shrugging. "I was just checking everybody around."

"Great!" all three yelled in unison, and before Miho knew it, all three jumped back into their tank. Miho could hear them playing their game consoles inside.

Miho shrugged again and checked the last team of the club.

* * *

"Um...hello there?" Miho asked.

She noticed that the Leopon Team's spot was already an auto repair station, and her jaws dropped when she realized that the team was fixing American cars by the dozen. Four members of the Automobile Club were working hard to fix cars after cars, and Miho watched in amazement as the customers filed in, checked their repaired cars, and paid the girls handsomely. Unlike other teammates, the Leopon girls wore mechanic uniforms.

"Are you charging them?" Miho asked.

"Nope," the leader of them told her, who came out underneath a silver Honda Civic. "They like to give us tip."

"That's quite generous of you all," remarked Miho. "But where did you get all the parts from?"  
"Somebody gave us a bunch of spare parts," the girl replied. "More than enough to fix at least a dozen cars."

The leader was Nakajima, a girl with short, dark brown hair and eyes of the same color. Miho silently noted that many girls in the club had short hair, which she found odd for some reason.

"You know," Nakajima said. "I don't know how, but somebody mistook me for you."

"I can see why," said Miho. "Many of us have short hair."

"Well," Nakajima said, dusting herself. "Many of us DO have short hair, and if you tell someone that Miho had 'short hair,' well, it's going to be confusing."

"How could somebody confuse you for Miho?" asked a girl with short, black hair and green eyes, who came out of a gray Honda Accord. She was one of only two girls in the entire club with tanned skin color.

"Many of us girls do have short hair," Nakajima answered. "Say, Hoshino, how many parts do we have, so far?"

"I don't know," she told her. "It's more than enough to fix at least a few dozen more cars."

"Who brought you all these still?" asked Miho. "This is definitely more than our own budget."

"He was a weird guy," Nakajima admitted. "He had white hair and..."

"...and sunglasses that hid some amazing eyes," another girl entered the conversation. Like Hoshino, she had tanned skin, with short, reddish-brown hair and a pair of blue eyes.

"How amazing, Suzuki?" asked Nakajima.

"He had this aura of authority," said Suzuki. "Miho, it was he who brought us plenty of goods and items to fix all these cars."

"And he promised to pay for any expenses," said Nakajima. "That way, we could keep helping people, without worrying about money."

"Oh yeah!" a particularly enthusiastic girl came out. "He was SO nice!"

Tsuchiya had short, reddish-brown hair with black eyes. She frequently smiled, and her freckles added to her charm.

"He actually confused me for you," she added. "Because he said: 'Are you Miho? I heard that she was a nice, outgoing person.'"

Miho blushed, and waved off.

"P-please!" Miho replied. "But seriously, that guy is odd, right?"

"Yes," Nakajima added. "An odd BUT amiable person."

"I better get back to my team," Miho told them. "It's time now. See ya!"

"See ya, Legend!" the four girls saluted her. Miho blushed, but saluted back before dashing to her four friends nearby their panzer.

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

"Welcome to California!" a girl with messy, brown hair and short pigtails introduced. "This is Ou Taiga again! And we are here for the first-annual US Senshadou Tour!"

Taiga fixed her black, semi-rimless glasses as she faced the camera in front. Her red armband on her left arm said: BROADCAST CLUB (in Japanese, of course).

"It's now 9:30 AM here in California!" she continued. "Which means that it's 1:30 AM in Tokyo, Japan! So, for any of you who still are awake, this is a rare treat for you!"

"And what is a rare treat?" a tall, white-haired man with sunglasses marched in. The two girls doing the report froze in fear; they felt something powerful from the man.

"Eh-eh..." Taiga tried to say, but could not blurt it out. Her cameraperson also shook.

"Don't worry," he said. "Can I join the report?"

Taiga said nothing, but nervously gave him her microphone.

He breathed, then boomed.

"Welcome to the United States of America!" he declared in fluent Japanese, which shocked the girls. "And welcome to the first-annual US Senshadou Tour! The Tour will feature Japanese girls parading their tanks, which demonstrate their unique sport called Senshadou. Unlike other tank sports, like Tankery, this sport emphasizes on developing girls into strong, exemplary models of motherhood and citizenship. Hence, this sport generally is less about winning, and more about self-development as model human beings."

"Wow..." Taiga whispered to her cameraperson. "He's a professional."

She nodded in silent response, her face still tense.

"And the President of the United States of America," the man continued, acting a little enthusiastic for his age. "Is going to personally host this special event, and I wish the girls well in their parade, starting here in Los Angeles, home of Hollywood! I am Abel Benford, and this is live broadcast from California-"

"MR. PRESIDENT!" a huge voice boomed behind him.

"Aw, come on," he groaned, sort of like a young kid.

"President?" both girls asked, aghast.

"Mr. President!" one of the 12 security guards roared at him, as all of them hurriedly caught up to their escapee. "How many times did we tell you? You're the President! You're supposed to be protected."

"But that makes me feel so distant," said Abel, groaning. "I am in disguise, until you all ruined it."

"We're going!" the guards declared, ignoring his small pleas. They somewhat forced him to move away.

"Have fun, girls!" he told them, waving at them.

Taiga and her sidekick stared at the group, and just waved back.

"Was that real?" her sidekick asked.

Taiga said nothing, but slowly nodded. Then, the girls limped back to the warehouse, getting a few stares from other people.

* * *

 **Los Angeles Parade Warehouse**

 **9:30 AM; July 8, 20XX**

"Alright!" declared Anzu. "So, everybody's gathered!"

The whole club joined together for a meeting. All girls sat in their own teams, and the Student Council, or the Turtle Team, was on stage.

"Well," Anzu began. "So, before we begin-"

"Where is he?!" a voice boomed, making the girls jump. 12 ominous men entered the warehouse. All of them looked tall but fearsome, wearing dark suits that made them look like Men in Black. Although they appeared calm, Miho and some other girls could tell that they were nervous. Very nervous.

"We just found him," one of them roared. "Then, he slipped away! Again!"

"Umm," Miho said, getting up and approaching one of them. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" one of them growled at her. His response sent chills down her spine, but she held her ground. He was tall and muscular like the others, but had dark skin and blue eyes. His almost-bald head was covered in dark brown hair, which looked almost like moss on a boulder.

"Who are you looking for?" she asked nicely.

"None of your business," he answered. "*** Jap girl!"

Miho blinked.

"Jap?" she asked. "What do you-"

"Hold your tongue," growled a familiar voice. Miho looked back, and others did the same.

"President!" the special guards roared. "We've been looking...for..."

A tall, white-haired man stood on stage. However, this time, he wore eyeglasses, so his deep blue eyes were clearly visible. However, his eyes were not filled with compassion as Miho saw earlier; instead, they were filled with silent anger.

The girls gasped, as they recognized him.

"That's the man!" Tsuchiya cried out. "He-he was..."

"Oh wow," Azusa said, jaws open wide. "He _was_ the President?"

Miho said nothing, but could tell that he was in no mood to talk.

"Mr. Peter Johnson," the President growled, approaching his guard. "What did you say? Can you say that again?"

"M-Mr. President!" the guard tried to maintain his composure. "We've been loo-"

"Answer me," he growled, silencing the guard. "What did you call Miho?"

"Miho?" Peter asked. "Wait, this little girl here is the 'Legend'?"

Miho blushed.

"Yes," Abel hissed. "And what did you call her? A Jap?"

"W-wait!" Peter began. "I-I can explain-"

"No explaining is needed," Abel hissed again, silencing Peter. Peter was shivering now.

"I am sorry," Abel said, turning to Miho with a kind eye. "For the behavior of my guard. Despite being an African-American, he has quite a history of hatred towards people different from him. I thought that he was finally reformed, but I guess he had to learn a lesson or two."

"What do you mean?" Miho asked.

"Let me explain," Abel said, taking off his glasses and wiping them. The guards stood tense, especially Peter, who was shivering bad.

"Peter called you something called 'Jap,'" he explained. "Now, back in WWII, that was a derogatory term for Japanese, but it was used earlier than that. But it really took off during WWII, and it's short for Japanese. However, it is an ethnic slur now in America, an insult to dehumanize you girls."

"But," Miho said. "I was not offended."

"You may not," said Abel. "But I am."

He turned around, glaring at Peter. Peter was no longer a tough guard; he whined and moaned like a dog that deserved a spanking. Miho had pity on him.

"H-hey, sir" Erwin said, raising her right hand.

"Yes?" Abel asked. Although calm now, his voice still rippled with anger.

"Don't other cultures shorten names of people from other cultures?" she managed to ask, but gulped at Abel's level of anger.

"It's not wrong for everyone," said Abel. "But in America, it's now a derogatory term, so I do not encourage it. No, I hate it."

"So, I apologize for his behavior," Abel continued. "But first, before we begin, we'll delay the tour by about 30 minutes, in order to let you all recover. And I want to show you Miho something."

"What is it?" she asked.

He only put his finger to his mouth to shush her. Then, he silently motioned her and her team to come along. The Anglerfish Team went with him, while the guards trailed behind. Peter, however, had to walk with his arms around two of his comrades; he was now a mess, shivering too much to walk on his own.

"What happened there?" asked Azusa.

"Calling us 'Jap'," Oryou said, sighing "Is clearly an insult."

"During World War II?" asked Erwin.

"Yes," Oryou sighed. "I did not expect a dark-skinned guy to say that. I've seen pictures of that derogatory word, but used by white Americans. Never expected a black guy to say it."

"Welcome to America," said Nekota, sighing. "I guess it's something we have to bear with."

* * *

 **San Andreas Lab #Classified**

 **Somewhere in California above Los Angeles**

 **9:30 AM; July 8, 20XX**

"Hey," a guard told another. "Did you hear?"

"What?"

"I heard about some crazy experiments going on," he remarked. "Boss secretly told me that we're guarding something big and secret. Even the US government does not know what it is."

"Eh," said the other. He was black, while the one who started the talk was white.

The two guards were sitting at an entrance, the only way into the actual lab. All other guards were patrolling the perimeter.

"Why bother?" said the black guard. "We're here to do our job, not nose around."

"But still," the white guard replied, sighing. "I've heard strange things going on there."

"Like what?"

"Like a mutant rat," he whispered. "Professor Henry told us about his dear pet."

"He likes that?" the black guard spat. "There IS something strange about that rat. Ever since I saw it, I hate that creature."

"He said," the white guard continued. "That it's his newest creation. Something about a rat with human DNA, in order to improve its intelligence. He does not even name it, just calling it 'my dear rat' or something that creepy."

"What about Joseph and Rudolf?" asked the black guard. "Caleb, I have not heard them in a while. Even now, I am wondering what happened to them."

"Neither do I, Josh," said Caleb. "And why do you worry?"

"They're handling something dangerous there, I heard," the black guard replied. "And please call me Joshua; I don't like 'Josh' for some reason."

"OK, Joshua," Caleb replied, shrugging. "Why are you worried about them?"

"I heard something about 'Operation Revival' or something," Joshua said.

"Yeah," began Caleb. "That sounds so cool-wait, you said what?"

"A secret experiment to revive the dead or something," Joshua said. "Henry told me."

"He told you?" Caleb asked, aghast. "But not me?"

"Wait," Joshua said. "He didn't tell you?"

Caleb sighed.

"I think he does not trust me," Caleb said. "He seems to hate white people, for some reason."

"All those white people," said Joshua. "Who maintained segregation and racism in the past are either dead, or too old to do anything. Children of their generation should NOT be punished for the sins of their parents."

"Unfortunately," said Caleb, sighing. "There are those who hold grudges that last a lifetime."

"And here is something else," said Joshua. "I've heard nothing inside for the past few days, since July 4. No one came out, and nobody came in since."

"Should we knock?" asked Caleb.

Joshua shrugged, and Caleb stood up.

"I am knocking," he declared. He stood before the ordinary-looking steel door. Its dull, gray surface said nothing back, as blank as itself. Caleb breathed, then raised his fist.

He knocked.

Nothing.

He knocked again.

Nothing.

He tried one more time.

Nothing. Then...

 _Creak, creak, crack._

The two guards reacted, getting into their attacking stance. Caleb backed away, and raised his M4 Carbine rifle. The other held out a classified shotgun, and backed away as well.

"That definitely did not sound like a human," Caleb whispered.

"Yeah," Joshua whispered back. "Let's get the other guards."

"We both will go together," Caleb replied. "Since the door is locked shut."

Both decided to go up.

"What's this about?" asked one of the guards. At that time, only 12 guards were on duty, since the location was top-secret.

"You guys," Caleb said. "We're going to ram the door open."

"For what?" one of the other guards asked.

"We have to check what's going on inside," began Joshua. Then, they all heard it.

 _Creak, creak, crack._

"Yup," Joshua began in a whisper. "We'll carefully-"

"Oh, shut up!" one of the ten men roared. "We're not spies here! Here, let me open the door.

The tall, muscular man stepped forward, pushing Joshua and Caleb out of the way. For some reason, the two guards sensed that something was going to happen.

"Ready?" the tough guy roared. He then tried to open the knob. It was stuck.

"It's useless, remember?" Caleb groaned, shaking his head. "Henry already told you before, and you forgot already."

"Shut up!" the man roared, and then tackled into the wall.

Suddenly, they heard something.

A groan.

"Oh-oh..." the sound of a man cried. "How-how long was I asleep..."

"Rudolf!" Caleb cried out, charging through. He put his left ear to the door.

"Are you there?" he called out.

"Ca-Caleb?" asked the voice. "Do-do not-"

"We're coming for you!" the same bulky guy roared, and backed away for another charge.

"Wait!" Caleb began. "He said not to-"

It was too late. Ammiel Bonecracker was rather infamous among his guards for being a "knucklehead," who acted before he thought. His huge body cracked the door open.

"Hang in there!" he roared. "I am coming in!"

"No-no!" the frail voice of Rudolf echoed. "You-you should not!"

"Hey!" Joshua and Caleb both pushed the other guards out of the way, and reached for Rudolf.

"Rudolf!" the men cried, as they carried him out; he was holding a suitcase with both of his hands. "What-what happened?"

"We're busting whoever is inside!" Ammiel declared. "Sethur and everyone! Let's charge in!"

"No-no..." Rudolf began. "Don-don't..."

"They're gone," Caleb remarked. The ten guards just charged down the door, and into the underground lab.

"What happened, though?" Joshua asked, giving him a bottle of water. Rudolf snatched it, and drank it empty in only five seconds.

"Ah!" Rudolf finally gasped. "Feeling better."

"Now," began Caleb. "Hold still-"

"No-no!" Rudolf began, but made a face.

"Rest well," Joshua comforted him. "Now, tell us; what happened?"

"That stupid Henry," Rudolf grunted. "I should have never let that thing live."

"That thing?" the two men asked.

"The secret experiment called the LMO," Rudolf explained. "The whole point of this secret lab. You know that this area is located not far away from Parkfield, California, which is within the San Andreas Fault, hence the name of our secret lab."

"Why are you telling us so much?" asked Joshua.

"Now," Rudolf replied, who started to pant harder and harder. "I've locked it, in order to keep Henry's mutant rat in."

"And what happens if..." began Joshua, but stopped. All three realized it.

"Ammiel! Sethur! Igal!" the two guards called out to them. "Don't open the lab!"

"AAARRGGGGHHHH!"

A huge roar echoed from the hall. The three men outside were silent as stone. Then, they felt a tremor, which stopped after five seconds.

"What's going on!" a large number of workers came down. Unlike the guards, they were oblivious to everything that transpired. That was actually the whole point of the lab; it was situated in a normal-looking office building, and the workers were not informed of the lab's existence. Hence, they thought that the guards were overreacting. Furthermore, the office building was partially underground, so that the sounds echoed more easily.

Caleb, Joshua, and Rudolf all stared at the crowd that formed.

"Guys," Rudolf said in a clear, loud voice. "Block the door. Block the door now!"

"No way!" said one of them. "What's going on here! And who opened that door?"

Then, they saw someone appear out of the door. Rudolf hurriedly got up, and held his black suitcase very closely.

"Ammiel!" said the same guy who talked, who was a businessman. "What's going on?"

He approached Ammiel, a towering figure of a man.

"Ammiel?" the businessman asked. "Ammiel?"

Ammiel did not reply, and the crowd gasped upon closer look. He had what looked like rat bites all over his body, and was bleeding bad. His eyes also did not look right...

"Get out here," Rudolf began. "Get out of here!"

"Ammiel," began the businessman. "What is-"

Ammiel looked down at the man, and roared. The roar blasted everyone away, like a huge gust of wind. Caleb, Joshua, and Rudolf were thrown into a corner, while the rest were flung into a nearby wall. Fortunately for the three men, they were nearby a door.

The lab's entrance was protected by a special circular room, with only one door. The only door out of the room, however, was situated to the right side of the lab entrance, so when the being of Ammiel, or what looked like Ammiel, roared, almost everybody was blown into the wall in front of the entrance. Fortunately, Rudolf seemed to anticipate the blast, and somehow grabbed his trustworthy guards and backed closer to the door; when the blast hit them, they ended up closer to the door than ever before.

"Quick!" Rudolf said, opening the door with his hand on a security board, making it open almost instantly. "Get in before it spots us!"

"It?" asked Caleb, who ran with him into the door. The three men ran out, and carefully locked the door. They then watched from the safety of the bulletproof glass walls.

"What do you mean by 'it'?" asked Caleb.

"Him," said Rudolf. "Or what was left of _him_."

They watched the scene unfold, from the safety of the strong glass walls. Ammiel said nothing, but ground his teeth. The three men watched in horror, as his teeth rapidly morphed into larger canine teeth. Two of them grew disproportionately into tusks, so that he looked more like an orc than a human. He suddenly grew in size, and his skin turned a sickly gray color.

"Oh no..." Rudolf said. "Henry, you should have not..."

"What did Henry do?" Caleb asked. "Another mad scientist gone rogue?"

"Worse," Rudolf admitted. "I shut down that lab, in order to keep the rat out. The rat bit the poor man to death. I used a pistol to kill the rat. But I locked the door, just in case. Sure enough, Henry suddenly twitched, then rose and..."

"...and what?" asked Caleb.

"He now rat!" Rudolf answered.

Joshua and Caleb both blinked, then coughed to avoid screaming, as the former Ammiel started to beat down upon the poor crowd far away.

"What is this?" asked Joshua. "A Frankenstein experiment?"

"Worse still," said Rudolf. "I tried to keep the orb contained from exploding, but it's too late..."

"Too late what?" the two guards asked.

"I have the case," he told them. "This will tell you EVERYTHING! The orb and everything! I should NEVER have kept so much secret from you all!"

Suddenly, another tremor shook, causing everybody to fall down. Caleb and Joshua fell onto the floor, while Rudolf fell on his back, protecting his case with both of his hands. The monster of Ammiel also collapsed unto the floor, only to stand back up again. The crowd inside was panicking, trying to reach for the door. Ammiel suddenly blocked the entrance, its massive body an unbreakable wall of grotesque flesh.

Then, they saw them. Nine other guards came out, looking bloody and enraged like Ammiel. One more came out, bite marks all over. That last one had giant buckteeth.

"Henry," the two guards gasped. "He's..."

"Get the military alarm!" Rudolf roared. The two guards wasted no time, and activated it, as they saw the horror unfold.

The ten guards roared, a horrible cacophony of inhuman voices. Then, they charged at the crowd. Men and women screamed, as they were shredded into pieces. Some were bitten, while others had their limbs torn off. The lone scientist just stared, then walked towards the door that the three men went through.

"Oh no!" Rudolf said. "Run!"

"They're not humans anymore!" Caleb began. "How could they..."

They fled upstairs, but as they climbed, they continued to watch the scenes unfold. Henry, or what was left of him, limped towards the door. The door had a lock, which a scientist could easily bypass via a microchip embedded in the right hand, which was how Rudolf allowed the others to get out. He held out his right hand, a mess of flesh and bones. The chip was there. As the massacre raged behind, the body of Henry slowly moved its hand to the security board.

 _Click._

The door opened, and it smiled, its buckteeth bare and yellow, as the three men tried to run up the stairs for freedom.

He limped out, and started walking up the stairs. The other ten then noticed the open door, rammed through it, and pushed the first one out of the way, as they ran up the stairs for freedom, as another tremor shook the whole place up...

* * *

 **OK, please review, like, follow, or whatever you do to make this story better and better-known! I appreciate every support! Plus, I am available to PM you in the morning and in late afternoon, so come by during those times!**


	3. Chapter 3: California has Fallen

**Alright, here it comes!**

 **Note: The "XXXXXX" and the double lines are meant to show the parts where I describe the teams in detail. GuP readers who already know the schools can skip these parts; however, they do show some details that could be important later on. This should be the last chapter to use that, unless I need that later.**

 **Please review if that "XXXXXXX" is useful, or whether I should remove it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: California has Fallen**

 **Los Angeles Parade Warehouse**

 **10:00 AM; July 8, 20XX**

"Why are we waiting here?" asked Saori.

Miho and her friends waited outside of another warehouse, as big as theirs. They sat in a bench beside the entrance, while waiting for Abel to come back; he said he had to deal with something "minor but annoying." In the meantime, the girls started to talk among themselves, but Miho suddenly felt tired.

"Ah," she yawned. "Why am I feeling tired?"

"Not enough sleep?" Saori asked. "I guess so, since some of us still feel the jet lag."

"Yeah," Mako said. "I have it far worse."

"Excuses, excuses!" Saori groaned, pulling at Mako's cheeks. "Right, Miporin? Miporin?"

Miho's head leaned against the cold, gray wall of the warehouse, as she drifted into her own world...

* * *

 _"Miho!" the cries of many girls roared, as Miho found herself in the turret, her head and torso above the cupola. She saw in horror, as masses after masses tried to run away, while those strange creatures from her previous dreams started to strike at the people running away._

 _Suddenly, she saw a strange, light magenta orb in the distance. She found herself in a colossal fissure, and gasped. She recognized it from reading books about California._

 _"San Andreas Fault!" she responded in her dream._

 _"Yes," a voice suddenly boomed behind her._

 _She turned around. No one there._

 _But the orb glowed, and blasted at her with something, and she realized she was in trouble._

 _Suddenly, a man caught her, just as the blast left a crater where Miho was. The man placed her gently on another ground, and jumped away._

 _"Wait!" she cried out. "Who are you?"_

 _She only glimpsed some white, red, and blue colors from his clothing. Suddenly, she noticed the Orb flashing again-_

* * *

"Miho?" the voices of four girls spoke at her.

"Huh-eh-ha...huh?" she responded, shaking herself awake.

"You've been asleep for only four minutes," said Hana. "And suddenly, you were talking about people being attacked..."

"...something about an orb..." Saori commented.

"...and San Andreas Fault..." Yukari noted.

"But most mysterious of them all," said Mako, shivering a little. "You were talking about a man who saved you. Who was he?"

Miho blinked.

"I," she began. "I...I could not see him. Then, that strange orb-thing tried to attack me again, and I woke."

"Mako!" Saori groaned. "You woke her up too quick!"

"It was not my fault," Mako groaned. "You suggested it."

"But I was the one who pushed you for that," Yukari admitted, blushing.

"And I was the one who tugged at Miho," Hana said.

"Maybe we all accidentally contributed to Miho's nightmare," said Saori.

All four girls stood up, and bowed down deeply at Miho.

"Please forgive us," the girls responded.

"No-no!" Miho waved her hands furiously. "It's not your fault! But I have to admit, that man sure felt benevolent and all-good."

"How good?" Saori asked, suddenly dashing to Miho's side and smiling. "Do you like him?"

"I don't know," Miho admitted. "But he had this feeling of...something great that will happen later on."

"And it appears," said Hana. "That your dream got more...abstract, right?"

"Yeah," Miho admitted. "This one feels more symbolic than my previous ones."

"So mysterious," said Mako. "I wish dreams were as predictable as lab experiments."

"That would be boring!" Saori groaned. "Then, dreams are no longer fun!"

"Fun is the opposite of science," Mako said nonchalantly.

"Mako!" said Saori, giving her friend a little squeeze, as she pinched and pulled at the lazy girls' cheeks. "Do not make 'fun' of me."

The girls giggled; even Mako grinned at that.

"So anyway," said Yukari. "President is still not there, and we've been waiting for a while."

"Speaking of waiting," said Miho. "We're not sure why we're at this warehouse in the first place."

"Why can't we explore?" began Saori. "When we hear..."

They heard something. Some shuffling and cries behind them.

"Hey," began Saori. "Don't they sound..."

Miho stood up, and walked towards a door besides the entrance. It was next to a garage door. She leaned close to the door, then gasped.

"No way!" she cried out, and opened the door. "Onee-chan!"

"Onee-chan?" asked Saori. "Wait, you mean-"

She did not finish her sentence, as the rest of the team chased after Miho, who disappeared into the door. Saori shrugged to herself, and followed suit.

"Onee-chan!" Miho continued to call out, as she dashed through a tiny corridor, with another door inside. She frantically tried to open the door. It did not budge.

"Onee-chan!" Miho called out again.

"Miho?" a rather mature voice echoed behind the door.

Miho stopped fumbling, as the doorknob started to turn, and then...

 _Click._

The door opened, and Miho gave the figure behind a body slam, as the figure struggled to maintain composure.

"Onee-chan!" Miho called out. "Why are you here?"

"Miho!" her sister replied, surprised but smiling as she patted her sister on the head. "I..Hehe, I am glad to see you again."

She blushed, as she realized that she patted her sister like a puppy, in front of a crowd of people behind. The rest of the Anglerfish Team came in, and gasped as multiple voices rang out.

"Hey there!" many voices roared in unison.

Members from other schools were in the main room, a huge room much like the one that the Oarai girls had. Although the storage space was identical, the tanks and the people inside were not. Miho noticed all seven high schools that helped Oarai in the infamous annihilation against the Selection University. Each school was represented by a distinct type of uniform, different from that of Oarai.

Six leaders of the school Senshadou teams approached Miho, while Miho's sister was already there.

"All seven schools," noted Miho. "We have not heard anything about you at all here!"

"It was a last-minute thing," her sister replied, resisting her urge to hug her sister. "The President of the United States of America sent a letter of invitation, asking us to participate in the tour, since we all helped you out in the annihilation match."

Maho Nishizumi could not help, but smile at her sister. The same height as Hana Isuzu, she looked remarkably like her younger sister, but with darker, browner hair and sharper eyes. She looked cold and distant, but friends and allies alike could tell that deep down, she was quite kind and nice to everyone. Unfortunately, she was not very good at expressing happiness, being used to acting strict and all.

"But onee-I mean, Maho-san," said Miho, trying to be formal. "We have not heard anything about you all, not even from the President."

"Like she said, the US President decided to make a last-minute decision to invite us," said a girl with blond hair, which was tied into a French braid. She had light blue eyes, and her face radiated a sense of grace and compassion. She wore the Senshadou uniform of her team: black skirt, black boots, and a deep red coat with gold buttons and shoulder epaulettes. She was drinking from a teacup as she came.

"Have you heard the saying," the girl said. "Better than never is late?"

Miho tilted her head, thinking.

"Better late than never," she finally said. "Darjeeling-san, it's been a while."

"From St. Gloriana," Hana remarked. "I have not heard from you all since the victory."

"Well, at least we're here," began Darjeeling. "I am honor-"

"Hah" the girl next to her declared; she had flowing blond hair that went a little past her neck. "I win!"

"Oh," Darjeeling realized. "You did win."

"What happened?" the girl with the most distinct hairstyle asked. She had long, gray hair tied into giant twin ponytails that reached down to her hip.

"Darjeeling made a bet with Kay," said the smallest of the commanders, who looked more like a blond cute girl than a commander of her school. "And don't call me 'cute'! Man, those American men thought I was a little girl!"

"But you are still a commander of your school," said another girl. She had long, dark brown hair and brown eyes.

"But I have to admit," the same girl said. "Somebody tall and powerful came in, and thought I was Miho, except he realized that Miho has shorter hair."

"Who could even confuse thee?" said a girl who looked somewhat like the previous, except wearing a distinct type of hat from Finland, with white and light blue stripes. "For the waves are ever-changing."

Miho and her team tilted their heads, confused.

"Anyway," began Miho. "Where is-"

"Aw, come on!" a huge voice boomed behind. The girls jumped, and looked back.

"Mr. President!" Miho called out. "We found our friends!"

"I should have told you," he admitted, coming in. "And you already gave it away."

"President?" the other girls asked, confused. They stared at him, then gasped in shock, and exploded into a variety of noises.

"You're President!"

"Are you nuts?"

"Wow, we met the US Prez!"

"No way!"

"Oh my..." Darjeeling said, dropping her teacup. A girl with pinkish-red hair dashed in, and saved the cup in a dramatic slide.

"Got it!" she roared.

"Rosehip!" two voices wailed from behind. "That is NOT ladylike!"

"Ho-ho-ho!" Abel boomed. "I sure am glad that cup is safe at last. Nice slide, lady supergirl!"

Rosehip blushed, as she tiptoed back.

"You're the President?" the smallest of the commanders gasped. "You sure were TOO nice and friendly to be one!"

"Facade is possible," said the girl with her hat. "For man is a liar."

"No facade," said Abel. "A girl is a tornado of bulls, pigs, and chickens that likes to explode in a beautiful work of fireworks."

Even she blinked, taken aback by the response.

"Eh?" she asked. All other girls around tilted their heads, very confused.

"Huh?" they all asked in unison.

"Got you," said Abel. "Whenever somebody says a proverb, I give them something back."

"Was that a proverb?" began Darjeeling. "It sounds like-"

"OK!" Abel boomed, clapping his hands. "Tour is starting very soon! Miho, why not check with the teams here?"

"Oh, OK!" she said.

"I will personally escort you four back," Abel said. "You need to get ready."

"Roger that!" said the four. "See you later, Miho!"

"Good luck!" she told them, as she walked around the store. All other commanders went back to their teams and tanks. Miho followed Darjeeling to her team.

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

St. Gloriana was the only school that defeated Miho's team twice; both were strictly matches just for "fun." Most high schools in Japan were themed after a nation; notable exceptions included Oarai. St. Gloriana was themed after the UK, so girls here tended to drink tea a lot.

And act very British.

"Mr. President finds that odd," said Darjeeling, showing Miho the tank that represented her school: a Churchill Mk. VII. A formidable tank, Miho remembered that it was the tank that took out hers during the first practice match, and the later exhibition match after winning the national tournament.

"No other tanks?" asked Miho.

"Due to the last-minute invitation," said a cute girl with ginger hair (worn in two braids tied into twist buns) and light purple eyes. "We can only bring one at a time."

"Unfortunately for us," said another girl with long, blond hair (tied with a black hairband) and light purple eyes. "We had to deal with Rosehip while inside..."

"Orange Pekoe and Assam-sama!" Rosehip roared, making the two girls wince. Orange Pekoe was the cute girl, while Assam was the one with the long hair.

"What is it?" the girls groaned, while Darjeeling simply smiled in the background.

"Isn't it fun?" Rosehip cried at the top of her voice. "That the President of the United States of America personally invited us! Man, I wish that the UK Prime Minister or even the Queen of England should have done the same!"

"Well," a girl popped from the tank's cupola, with brown eyes and long, brown hair tied in a large braid over her left shoulder. "Even I have to agree with _her_ on that point."

"Rukuriri..." the two girls groaned, while Rosehip enthusiastically nodded.

Miho thought about it, and realized that all of the St. Gloriana representatives were named after tea. Miho liked tea, but was not really sure which one was her favorite.

"But still," said Orange Pekoe. "Americans sure are different. Here, they rarely drink tea."

"Coffee reigns supreme," said Assam, sighing in resignation. "I hate coffee."

"And I already drank one!" Rosehip declared proudly, holding up a teacup with something dark inside. "With tea!"

"Rosehip!" Orange Pekoe, Assam, and Rukuriri groaned in unison, trying to NOT make a face. Although they were trying to be elegant and calm, Rosehip's words stunned them, and their faces winced at Rosehip's "heresy." Darjeeling and Miho, however, both giggled.

"Coffee-tea, right?" Darjeeling asked. "Maybe I should try that."

"Darjeeling-sama!" the three girls groaned again. "That is NOT elegant!"

Darjeeling shrugged.

"We're in America," she said. "Let's enjoy it while we can. And Miho, make sure you meet the other girls; time flies very fast, you know."

"Oh, OK!" Miho said, waving them goodbye and hurrying to the next team.

"Oh!" she remembered, turning around. "Darjeeling-san, what was the bet with Kay?"

"Oh..." Darjeeling giggled nervously. Rosehip stared in awe, while the other girls were moaning and facepalming.

"It was-"

"No-no!" the girls screamed at their leader. All except Rosehip cupped Darjeeling's mouth with their hands; Rosehip laughed openly, as she filled up Darjeeling's cup with her special "coffee-tea."

Miho silently shrugged and let the girls deal with Darjeeling, while she went away.

"Miho-senpai!" Rosehip roared, charging at her.

"Wow!" Miho said. "Slow down, please!"

"Here you go!" Rosehip said, handing her a paper cup. "It's wrapped for safety! Coffee-tea, courtesy of us!"

"Thank you," Miho replied, smiling as the swift girl went back to her team.

She then walked to the next tank, sipping the drink.

"Hmm," she remarked. "Strawberry coffee-tea."

* * *

"We're in America!" the leader of the next team declared. "Now, we are definitely Americans!"

The American-themed school of Saunders was certainly based on the US. Miho was not too surprised; she expected them to be excited, not to mention that the US President himself personally met each team. However, she gawked at the size of the leader's meal.

"Kay!" a girl with twin short ponytails groaned. "It IS America, but what's with the portion size?"

"What?" Kay asked, munching on her third sandwich.

"And where did you get that much food?" the same girl asked.

"Alisa," Kay playfully replied, winking. "I got it from a restaurant that is said to be fast food, but the quality is amazing!"

"Ha!" Alisa retorted. "Fast food that tastes good? What an oxymoron!"

"I think you mean paradox," Miho interjected.

"Miho?" Alisa turned around, while Kay jumped on her, giving Miho a surprise bear hug.

"You're right!" Kay replied, releasing her grip. "From Chick-fil-A!"

"Eh..." Miho groaned, trying to regain her composure. "Chick-fil-A...I heard from a good number of Americans that it's one of the best."

"Better than KFC!" Kay chimed in. "That Chick-fil-A!"

"It _is_ actually better than KFC," said a boyish girl with short, gray hair, who was blowing some gum. "Surprised we don't have it back in Japan."

"You too, Naomi?" Alisa groaned.

"Do you hate Chick-fil-A?" asked Kay, devouring her fifth sandwich. Miho just stared, oblivious to the empty cup in her right hand.

"No," she admitted. "It's just you were so enthusiastic, buying five sandwiches in a row. Then, you got the attention of the manager, who was impressed with your attitude, and gave you five more!"

"So what?" she asked, giving Miho a sandwich. "Have some!"

"Oh, OK," Miho replied, as she threw away her cup and received a small white bag. She opened it. The aroma of freshly fried chicken suddenly erupted in her face, causing her to back away.

"Wow," she remarked, as she sniffed it. "Hmm, that smells...lovely!"

"See?" Kay interjected. "Even Miho the 'Legend' is in love with it!"

Miho blushed, and she bit into the sandwich.

"Mmm..." she answered. She ate fried chicken before, but this was something unexpected. She could not really describe it, but it was amazing.

"Kay," a voice moaned from the American tank Sherman VC Firefly. The voice was Helena, popularly known to some people as "Helmet-Chan," because of her helmet, spoke softly as she rose from the cupola. Her helmet barely hid her auburn hair.

"Yes?" Kay asked.

"Stop yelling all the time," she asked. "Please?"

"This is America," Kay replied. "Have some coffee!"

"Oh," Helena replied, coming out slowly. "Good...good idea."

"Sorry about that!" Kay winked, both at Helena and Miho. "Speaking of sandwich, the Anzio over there has some free food! Why not try theirs?"

"Oh, OK!" she replied, and strolled as Alisa went into her rant about "obesity in America" and what-not.

"Oh yeah!" Miho remembered, and hurried back.

"Kay!" she asked her. "What was the bet with Darjeeling?"

"Oho!" Kay yelled with delight. Naomi shrugged in the background, while Alisa put her hand in a facepalm. Helena just sweated.

"I bet with Darjeeling," explained Kay. "That if she said 'honor' or something with it before I said 'free' or something with it, then she loses. If I said 'free' or something with it first, then she wins!"

"Why?" Miho asked, confused.

"Just for fun," Kay replied. "Fortunately, Darjeeling said it first, so now she has to do it."

"What is it?" Miho asked.

"Anglerfish Dance!" she said joyfully, taking out the infamous pink suit. Miho turned red; she now understood COMPLETELY why the St. Gloriana girls were so downcast about it.

"Well..." Miho said, backing away as she remembered that humiliating dance before. "Good luck; if she's really doing it, tell her to let us know."

"OK!" Kay winked.

"Bye!" Miho waved them, and dashed to the next team.

* * *

"Pizza for sale!" the leader of the Anzio roared, as a long line went out of the door.

Miho gawked at the spectacle, as she realized that it was almost a déjà vu; just like the Leopon Team, the Anzio girls set up a business. Next to their vendor was their tank, the Carro Armato P40. Miho was surprised that it was fixed; she heard that it was still not fixed months ago, due to budget issues.

"A jumbo slice of pizza," Miho read the bulletin board. "For $1.50...Wait, that's cheap!"

"Awesome!" a giant American roared, as he ordered 10 of the slices. "These are better than Pizza Hut!"

"How are you all doing?" Miho asked, staring at both the line and the four girls in the food shack.

"Anchovy is great!" the leader of Anzio answered, her twin ponytails accidentally hitting her friends as she hurried to get the last orders. They were not bothered, as they worked furiously to both finish the last orders, and clean up their station.

"Carpaccio is doing well!" a tall girl with long blond hair replied.

"Pepperoni is peppy!" a girl with bluish, short hair that is quite spiky yelled, as she frantically put the pepperoni pieces on the last few slices of pizza.

Miho giggled at the irony of it all: a girl named "Pepperoni" serving pepperoni pizza.

"Last five!" she suddenly roared, causing the line to break up, and a horde of humans hungrily reached for the last pieces.

"Pizzzzaaaa!" the crowd roared. Miho tilted her head; they sounded so familiar...

"And they're free!" Anchovy replied, so that the crowd swelled even larger.

"Salame!" Anchovy called out, handing her a particularly large slice. "Give this to Miho!"

"Si!" she replied. Despite her name, she was better known as "Siko," because of her habit of using the Italian word for "yes." Miho deduced that "si" and "yes" were both the same thing.

"Here you go!" Salame declared, handing her a slice. The freshly baked slice erupted with the aroma of cheese, tomato sauce, basil, and crunchy pepperoni. Miho just bit it, and enjoyed it, as she wisely backed away, giving the Anzio room and space to clean up. Miho then walked up to one of the last teams, savoring every morsel.

"Mmm..." she commented. "This is...ah..."

* * *

"Eating pizza, eh?" the commander of the Pravda team asked, smirking.

Miho wiped her mouth with her handkerchief, and watched the team. Miho half-expected the team to have a KV-2, and she was right. The favorite of the commander, the behemoth rose over her, its howitzer cannon the pride of Pravda. Although inaccurate and slow, the tank was not one to be messed with.

"Nonna!" she commanded.

"Yes Katyusha," a towering figure of a beautiful, calm girl said, and instinctively gave her commander a piggyback ride. Miho secretly chuckled at the irony; Katyusha was the leader of the Russian-themed school of Pravda, yet she piggybacked on her vice commander like a little girl. No wonder a good number of American men thought that she was "a little cutie pie."

"So, Miho is the 'Legend,' eh?" Katyusha asked. "What brings you here?"

"Just checking on you all," she replied, shrugging.

"Of course!" three other voices cried out. A small girl with a large Ushanka hat, a small girl with short brown hair in a sort of bob, and a tall Russian girl came over.

"Nina, Alina, and Klara," Katyusha introduced each one to Miho. "I guess you all already know the 'Legend,' eh?"

Miho blushed again.

"Seriously," Katyusha continued. "How did Americans know about you so much?"

"I heard from some," said Klara. "It appears that the irony of a 'small Japanese girl' defeating the Karl-Gerat and other things caught the attention of the American public."

"How did _you_ find out?" asked Katyusha. "Nonna, ask her!"

" _It must have been fun 'seducing' the American guys here,_ " said Nonna in Russian.

" _It sure was_ ," replied Klara in Russian. " _Frankly, I heard that some men here now have a liking for Miho, calling her 'Legendger.' I don't like that nickname, though_."

"Nonna! Klara!" Katyusha roared.

"Yes?" the two replied, calm as ever.

"I now know a few Russian!" she declared. The two girls only blinked.

"You said something about Miho being a 'Legend Burger' or something! And some men here like Miho!"

Miho blushed. Nonna and Klara both blinked again, visibly impressed by their commander's effort to learn at least some Russian.

"But other than that," she pouted, laying her head on Nonna's. "I don't know."

Nonna and Klara winked at each other, giving secret signs.

"Anyway!" Katyusha said. "Off you go, Pirozhki!"

"OK," Miho replied, and backed away. Klara, however, leaned to her and handed her a secret camera.

"Get pictures of Katyusha for me, OK?" she winked.

"Oh, OK," Miho replied, and pocketed it. She then moved on to the next team, feeling awkward at the odd request.

"Maybe," Miho said to herself, digging into her left pocket to check her camera. "This will be useful later on."

* * *

"Onee-chan," Miho whispered.

The Kuromorimine Girls High School. The pride of Senshadou. Back in Japan, this school team alone won the national championship nine times in a row, especially under the leadership of Maho Nishizumi. However, in the tenth attempt, they lost. Miho remembered that well; she chose to save her friends, at the cost of her flag tank. After the stigma, she left for Oarai, only to become the leader of her school in Senshadou. Now, the school was less ominous, but Miho still was a little cautious.

"Hi there," Maho replied, smiling. "Welcome back."

"Greetings," said a girl next Maho, with long, blond hair and blue eyes. Erika Itsumi was the current vice commander, a position that was formerly Miho's. After Miho left, Erika became one, although she still felt some stress from the position. Despite her short-tempered nature, Erika had a sense of decency.

"Erika-san," Miho greeted back.

"You know," she casually said. "These Americans sure think that I am a white girl or something."

"Oh! Yes, they do," she replied.

"I am annoyed," Erika admitted. "One even casually called me a 'Nazi pie' or something. I gave him a taste of my right foot."

"Please be nice," Miho said, giggling awkwardly.

"But we are NOT Nazis!" Erika grunted, throwing a small fit of temper. "German-themed does not equal Nazi-themed!"

"Please come down," a girl with brown hair and soft, blue eyes said. "And hello again, friend."

"Koume Akaboshi!" Miho replied back, remembering her as one of those whom she saved back in Kuromorimine.

"These Americans here are annoying!" two people said, entering the conversation. They came out of the tank that represented Kuromorimine: the Tiger I.

"They call you 'Legend' around here," they continued. "Man, I wish they would call our dear Nishizumi-dono as such!"

"Ritaiko and Mauko-san," Mako said. "Watch your words."

"Sorry!" both girls replied, saluting her and tense. Ritaiko looked like Koume, but with shorter, more boyish hair and a shorter temper. Mauko had more spiky hair.

Miho giggled.

"Don't worry," Maho said. "I hope you're having a blast here."

"I sure am," she replied. "Thank you, and good luck!"

"Good luck," the girls waved at her, as Miho happily bounced away.

* * *

"I sure hope she does," Maho said, turning to her group. They stood, saluting her.

"Girls," she told them.

"Yes?" all of them replied with tense faces, except Koume, who was softly smiling.

"If there is one thing I tell you," Maho continued with a stern face. "It is this: Keep everyone alive, especially Miho. I heard of bad things going on in Los Angeles. And California had seen its fair share of riots and violence already. If anything happens, and you know you save Miho in particular, save her at all costs."

"Yes, ma'am!" the girls declared in unison, saluting her.

"I hope nothing bad happens," Maho said, sighing.

"Hopefully not," Koume comforted her, patting her on the left shoulder.

"Good thing you're still here," said Maho. "And Miho as well."

* * *

"Girls!" the leader of the second-to-last team declared. "The Legend is coming! On your marks!"

The girls of the Chi-Ha-Tan lined up, although there were only six of them. Behind them was their own tank: the Type 97 Chi-Ha, a tank that vaguely looked like a light tank. Its most distinct feature was a circular radio antenna that surrounded the cupola.

Kinuyo Nishi, the leader, lined up the girls and bowed down at Miho very quickly, startling Miho.

"H-hi," she replied, embarrassed at the excessive display of respect.

"I, Kinuyo, am at your service!" she declared. "As are Fukuda, Haru Tamada, Hosomi, Teramoto, and Ikeda, from left to right!"

Miho looked at the girls. On the far left was Kinuyo herself. From left to right, she saw them all. The girl next to Kinuyo was one of the smallest girls in the entire team and the groups around; shorter than Katyusha, Fukuda had wide glasses, but she was the only one who frequently wore a brown helmet. Haru Tamada had black hair tied into a small braid with a white ribbon. Hosomi was obvious to Miho; she was the only girl she ever saw with victory rolls. Miho was not so familiar with the last two.

"Teramoto, right?" Miho asked.

"Yes!" a girl with short, wavy black hair said, adjusting her rather ancient photographic camera. She took a picture of Miho, and a black photo slowly popped out.

"Why not use a modern camera?" Miho asked.

"I like this one," she replied.

"And you are Ikeda?" Miho asked.

"Yes!" a girl with a low black ponytail declared. It was tied by a large, white ribbon. Miho wondered about a strange detail on her left eyebrow.

"Is that a scar," asked Miho. "Or a frown line?"

"Dunno," she admitted. "I've had this, as if somebody drew me by accident!"

"Miho!" a voice suddenly echoed from the other side.

"I guess they want to meet me," Miho said. "Bye, all of you."

"Goodbye!" the whole row of six girls bowed down deeply, giving Miho awkward giggles.

"Still as enthusiastic as usual," remarked Miho. "Although they need to be careful with charging all the time, or else..."

* * *

"When life gives you lemon, make lemon pop," the girl with the white-and-blue hat said. Miho did not know what she was saying, but understood that Mika was one mysterious girl. Miho knew of Mika's school strategies more than the school itself, which was impressive even in its fight against Kuromorimine (back when Miho was there). The school brought in one tank, like other teams: the BT-42 Assault Gun. It was unusual for its Christie suspension, which allowed the tank to drive like a car, if its tracks were lost.

Mika was always seen with her hat, which Miho found a little odd; she heard that Mika could not stand without it on.

"Mika!" a girl who looked like Nina, but with light blond hair and without any hat on. "Stop with that proverb-ish nonsense!"

"Aki is right," a girl with reddish-brown hair tied in small ponytails grunted. "Me Mikko is too tired of your shenanigans."

"Well Miho," Mika continued, ignoring her subordinates. "Being Legend is sure a lemony thing, right?"

"Um...right," Miho replied with some hesitance.

"There is something I want to say," Mika began, but her two friends slammed her hard.

"Don't say it!" Aki roared.

"Yeah!" Mikko replied. "It was so scary! Your nightmare was creepy!"

"It was no nightmare," said Mika. "It's a danger dream, after all."

"What was the dream about?" asked Miho.

"Guess it," Mika replied.

Miho thought for a while, then gave her answer.

* * *

XXXXXXX

* * *

"A zombie dream?" she asked.

Mika raised her eyes. Miho saw what she thought was a spark of both anticipation and...fear.

"Yes," she replied, her eyes still shining.

"What did the...zombie do to you?" Miho asked.

"It was frozen," she replied, causing her two friends to block their ears. "Sort of."

"Y-yes?" Miho said.

"It said about 'those who slay the despaired,'" Mika continued. "And you're next."

Miho suddenly felt something. A streak of magenta flashed by her. Suddenly, her vision started to blur.

"Miho?" Mika's voice rang out.

"Miho!" a couple more roared, but Miho tried to stay awake.

Suddenly, everything went blank.

* * *

 _"Where am I?" Miho said out aloud. She found herself in a strange place, an intersection made of two roads. However, Miho noticed something odd._

 _The middle of the intersection, the square part, was golden-yellow with stripes of magenta, red, blue, and white. She noticed a compass on the ground, and reached down to pick it up._

 _It pointed north. She looked at it, and saw that the northern road was jet black._

 _It pointed west. She glanced at it, and noticed that the road was snowy white._

 _It pointed south. She took a look, and the road was bright red._

 _It pointed east. She observed it, and the road was shiny blue._

 _Suddenly, all four roads turned sickly gray, and the monsters from her previous nightmares came from all four directions. A little girl suddenly appeared by her side, and two men whom she could not see also appeared by her side._

 _Suddenly, something fell from the sky. Miho quickly wielded it, but it was too heavy. The three people touched her, and disappeared. Filled with strength, she checked the sword and found a rope tied to the ground. She yanked it, and the sword glowed. The monsters cowered back in fear. Miho wasted no time in swinging the sword around, and everything was destroyed._

 _Suddenly, she saw an orb above, which suddenly came down, and was about to crush her-_

"MIHO!"

* * *

She blinked. All of the girls in the warehouse looked at her. Miho realized that she was lying on the floor, with Maho by her side. Maho was holding on her sister, shaking her furiously.

"Are you OK?" Maho asked her, panic and concern in her voice. "I saw you fall, and dashed in just in time to catch you!"

"W-what happened?" Miho asked.

"Mika," Maho told her. Mika stepped forward, and Miho noticed that she took her hat off in a gesture of respect.

"Miho-san," she said in a low, calm voice. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, Mika-san," Miho replied. "What really happened? I remember you telling me your dream and..."

"Mika told you about someone who can slay the despaired or something," said Katyusha. "She explained that."

"And she said 'you're next,'" Kinuyo said. "And Mika was clearly shaken when you fell."

"At that moment," Kay said. "We noticed you suddenly shake, then you let out a scream."

"A scream?" Miho asked. "I did scream?"

"It horrified us!" Anchovy asked. "Good thing we finished our cleanup. Just as we did, an inhuman scream shocked us. We turned around, saw you scream like as if you're dying!"

"The scream was unlike anything we heard," said Darjeeling, panting a little. "We all ran up to you, and noticed you looked odd. Suddenly, all of us felt something...odd."

"Odd?" asked Miho.

"Whatever it was," began Maho. "That was-"

"Miho!"

The whole crowd turned around. The four Anglerfish girls appeared, panting for breath.

"You OK?" they asked. All four looked very shaken.

"What happened?" Miho asked, rising up.

"You were here all along?" Mako panted very badly.

"Why?"

"We-we," Mako tried to say it, but she was shaking too much to say much.

"We were at our tank," explained Hana. "And we were just talking about today and the Tour and all."

"Suddenly," Yukari said, shaking. "We heard a scream. A very loud scream. Everybody in the room recognized that as yours."

"Wait a minute," said Kay. "How did you hear her scream?"

"The two warehouses," said Nonna, sweating. "Are separated by one whole block. And Anchovy, did you notice anyone else hear the scream?"

"No," Anchovy said. "I checked outside, and nobody seemed to notice. I asked a few who passed by. They gave me odd stares, and said no."

"Was it muffled?" asked Darjeeling.

"No," Saori answered. "It sounded like Miho was screaming in the middle of our group."

"Loud and clear?" asked Naomi, who was sweating.

"Yes," Hana said.

"Wait," began Maho. "Then what about-"

"Yo-ho!"

The crowd turned to watch the President. Abel strolled in, stretching.

"Finally!" he declared. "That meeting is done! Girls, are you all ready?"

"Mr. President!" Miho said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Did you hear someone scream?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I was in the middle of the warehouses, talking to my subordinates as usual."

"How long?" they asked.

"For 20 minutes," he replied. "I heard nothing of a scream. Let's go!"

He whistled out, oblivious to the mood in the warehouse. Many girls started to shiver.

"Yikes," Mako shivered badly.

"I wonder," Mika said, panting a little. "If that is something..."

Silence.

"OK!" Maho said, snapping everyone out of their trance. "L-let's just go and get ready for the parade!"

Everybody then rushed forth, wanting to forget about that strange experience, although some girls started to whisper among themselves.

"What was that?" asked Rosehip to her group.

"That did not sound..." Alisa trailed off.

"I am scared out of my wit!" Nina whispered to Alina, who nodded furiously in agreement.

Miho sweated, wiping her forehead with a handkerchief. As she followed, she saw it again.

A faint ribbon of light magenta light floated past, almost like an eel swimming through waters. Miho actually smirked; she remembered her own mother shrieking in apparent fear when she saw one.

"What are you?" she asked. "Or who are you?"

The strange light said nothing, and just vanished.

"Am I seeing things?" she asked to herself. "This started happening ever since we're in the US. Now that I think about it, I did have a dream, but once or so in Japan..."

"Miho!" her team cried out.

"Coming!" she hurried to her team.

* * *

 **Los Angeles Parade Warehouse**

 **10:30 AM; July 8, 20XX**

"OK," said Miho. "We can do this."

Saori checked the radio transmissions, while the other teams managed their tanks.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" a muffled voice roared from outside.

"Ready?" Miho asked her team. They all nodded.

Then, Abel came out, and motioned the teammates.

"Ready, set," Miho commanded. Everybody in the warehouse readied the tanks.

"Go!"

The tanks groaned, and roared as they moved on their tracks. Miho's team came out first, then Turtle, Duck, Hippo, Rabbit, Mallard, Anteater, and Leopon.

Crowds outside roared, as the police cruisers and bikes escorted the tanks. Miho waved back, smiling genuinely. She was glad of the crowd; it took her mind off of the strange incident a few minutes ago. Unknown to her, the same ribbon of light floated nearby, then disappeared into a crack in the warehouse floor.

"Eek," Mako admitted. "I am glad for the crowd, for once. It takes my mind off of that...incident."

All five nodded silently, knowing what Mako meant. Miho remembered hastily telling the others the scream, and everybody there was on edge. Fortunately, the parade was a festive event, and everybody was glad to avoid thinking about that.

After the Leopon Team came out, Miho noticed in the distance other tanks. Kuromorimine came out first, then St. Gloriana, then Saunders, Anzio, Pravda, Chi-Ha-Tan, and finally Jatkosota. Miho noticed something behind Jatkosota, and gasped.

"The JSF!" Miho declared. "And the University!"

The girls looked back, and gasped in unison. Behind the BT-42, a Centurion Mk.I tank and a Karl-Gerat siege mortar lumbered by.

"How did they field it here?" asked Yukari. "Is the road even big and strong enough to field _that_?"

"We're on a wide highway," replied Mako. "That's why the parade's roads are so wide."

"Oh," said Yukari. "Nice observation. That's still a cool weapon, though."

A few girls, however, shivered at the giant gun, especially Koume and Ritaiko, whose tanks were among its first casualties in the annihilation match a few months ago.

On top of the Centurion were four people from the Selection University, the group they fought months ago. A little girl with ash-blond hair tied into twin ponytails sat on top, surrounded by three mature women. She was holding what looked like a teddy bear with bandages all around on it.

"Alice Shimada!" Miho noticed. "And the Bermuda Trio: Azumi, Megumi, and Rumi."

Miho waved at the girl, despite being so far away. Alice noticed her, and jumped up and down for joy, waving her doll in response.

"She seems more excited than usual," remarked Saori.

"Guess she's finally having friends?" inferred Yukari. "I heard that she was lonely back in college."

On top of the Karl Gerat was a large platform, apparently modified to hold a good number of people.

"Shichiro Kodama," Anzu said, whistling at the middle-aged man who wore a hat. "The director of everything Senshadou in Japan. The leader of JSF and all, the Japanese Senshadou Federation."

"Of course," Erwin noted. "You invite the leader of us all."

"Ami Chono," Yuzu noticed the woman with short, black hair. "Our instructor still looks like herself."

"Renta Tsuji," Anzu remarked, leading to a few growls from some of the Oarai girls. "The man who tried to shut down our school...twice."

The man who looked like a businessman, with black glasses, stood silent as a stone. Miho heard a few boos from the crowds. He then snapped, stomping up and down like a crazy man. He was clearly angry, and his temper only encouraged the crowds to boo all the louder.

"BOOO!" the crowd boomed at the man, who continued to throw his temper.

"Not happy," Miho said the obvious. A few girls grinned at Renta's antics.

"Suits him well," said Anzu, reclining back into her tank.

"Chiyo Shimada," Yukari noticed a mature woman who vaguely resembled her daughter Alice.

"Okaa-san," Miho said in a whisper. Shiho Nishizumi stood as strong as ever, her severe-looking appearance radiating an aura of dangerous energy. Even the crowds around her visibly shook; a few children there whimpered in fear.

"You mom is scary," Yuzu admitted from her tank.

Miho nodded silently.

"They're all here," Yukari noted.

"So far so good," Miho said, as she led her tank down the parade.

The whole parade continued down the street, as crowds after crowds cheered. Miho and others waved at the crowds, happy that everything was alright.

"Miho!" the crowds started to chant. "Miho! Miho! Miho-ha! Miho-ha!"

"Miho-ha?" asked Miho to her friends.

"Guess they're just cheering for you," Kay's voice resonated from Miho's radio system.

"Miho-ha!" the crowds roared. "Miho the Legend! Miho the Legend!"

Miho blushed, and tried to get into her cupola. The way she tried to hide herself was apparently cute, because the audience roared in approval.

"Oh please," she blushed at her failed attempt.

"Stop acting cute!" Erika roared from her tank.

"Hehe," Anzu said. "Look over there."

Miho stood up, and looked behind. Renta Tsuji was having another fit; Miho guessed correctly that he was angered at the implicit reminder of his failure to shut down Oarai.

"It serves him right," said Momo, smirking. "That's his karma there."

"I have a feeling you should not say that," said Miho. "Else something _else_ could bite us."

"Why?" Momo retorted. "It's not like we could get targeted and all!"

* * *

 **Somewhere along the Highland Avenue...**

 **Los Angeles, California**

 **11:50 AM, July 8, 20XX**

"I am enjoying this!" Miho gladly said, as she waved at the crowds.

"Now you are," Saori commented, smiling.

"I am glad to see you happy," said Hana.

"Me too!" Yukari interjected.

"I see you well now," Mako lazily chimed in. "But you are in good shape."

By now, all girls in the Senshadou Teams had essentially forgotten the strange incident, or at least set it aside in their minds.

The crowds waved at the girls, showering them praises and compliments.

"Miho-ha! Miho-ha!" the crowds chanted.

"Hehe," Miho admitted. "I guess it's good to enjoy this while it lasts."

"Who knows?" asked Yukari. "You could ACTUALLY become famous!"

"No-no," Miho waved off. "Spotlights are useful once in a while. Then, it's back to normal life again."

"You definitely look forward to that, eh?" Mako nonchalantly asked.

"Yes," Miho said. "I just want to be myself."

"Myself..." Hana said dreamily. "I wonder how that will appear..."

"Are you prophesying?" asked Saori, raising an eyebrow.

"No," she replied. "Just thinking, I just felt something odd."

"I already felt it," said Miho. "But I thought I was dreaming."

"Now that you all say it," Saori said. "I feel it too."

"Earthquake?" inferred Mako.

"Earthquake?" Yukari began. "How did you-"

At that moment, the tanks stopped for the usual pause. The girls were about to get out, when they all felt it. The buildings shook, the tables shivered, and then everything was still.

Suddenly, a noise broke. Around the parade, thousands of loudspeakers suddenly blared.

"Attention, attention," the voice monotonously boomed.

"Wait a minute," said Yukari. "I don't remember L.A. having a public address system."

"This is odd," Kay's voice came from the radio. "I did not notice them; I guess they're hidden quite well."

The sounding system kept speaking, until the crowds finally got quiet.

"It is now 12:00 PM exact," the voice said. "And we are on emergency lockdown."

"Eh?" the girls reacted.

"We are on lockdown," said the voice. "We are on lockdown in the northern parts of Los Angeles. We are on lockdown due to the earthquake. Eh?"

"Say what?" the voice suddenly changed its tone. "Hey, what are you saying?"

Everyone present at the parade was silent.

"What are you saying?" the voice started to shake. "What do you mean 'we're finally here'? What? 'California has fallen'? What do you mean by that?"

"California has fallen?" the girls in the tanks asked. A few of them shivered.

"He-hey!" the voice struggled with someone or something. "Hey! What are you doing? I am the professional here! Hey! HEY!"

Silence. The crowd stayed silent. Miho quietly motioned to her team. They all nodded, but were tense. Miho then signaled to the other teams of Oarai. Maho saw this, and did the same to her crew. All others eventually noticed, and prepared their tanks.

"GAAAAHHH!" the announcer's voice roared over the loudspeakers. "WHAT THE-WHAT-OWW-OW-HA!"

The crowds started to stir.

"Ah!" he continued. "Help me! Stop! Stop it!"

"Ow!" his voice resonated. "Ah...ack...ack...agh...oh..."

A sound of something dropping echoed from the loudspeaker. Then, they heard a sound, and a breathing noise was heard.

"I..." a new voice spoke. "I speak...We are now here, eh-heh-heh-heh..."

Despite the California heat, Miho shivered.

"California has fallen," the strange voice declared.

The crowds started to stir.

"This is some lovely flesh," it spoke again, and everybody heard it loud and clear.

Bones crushed. Flesh torn. Blood spat.

"Get ready," began Miho. "We are-"

Miho and the other girls cupped their ears, as screams roared out all around them.

* * *

 **Ladies and gentlemen, it is here, updated and once again.**

 **Please review, like, follow etc., for every support is appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Second Strike

**The apocalypse continues...**

 **I appreciate any advice, PM, review, like, follow etc.!**

 **Update: I am enjoying that Discord site. Soon-ish, I will post up a new cover pic for my story. In the meantime, survive vor!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Second Strike**

 **Hollywood Boulevard**

 **Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **10:00 AM; July 8, 20XX**

"Zombie apocalypse!" Yukari squeed loudly, as streams of people roared by like angry rivers. People after people trampled each other, trying to get away from whatever the danger lied. Miho watched in silence, standing on top of her tank, as waves after waves of people crashed by, trying to push away the obstacles of tanks, to no avail.

However, one particularly large wave managed to smash into her tank, and caused it to bounce back and forth violently. Miho maintained her stance, as strong as a tree.

"SCARED!" Saori's voice roared from inside the tank. "I am scared!"

Miho giggled nervously at that. She was not the only one, but Miho was a little more on edge after Saori's outburst.

"Hold on," Miho said in a calm voice. "You're not the only one who is scared."

"I-I..." Mako's voice echoed, her voice clearly trembling.

"Keep the tank still!" Miho called out to her, as she watched the chaos unfold.

Screams and roars from the crowds deafened the whole area; the same people who cheered at the parade now were yelling for their lives. Hordes after hordes slammed again and again into the tanks; Miho thought that she saw some trampled. Miho turned away to avoid the horrific thought of seeing people get killed.

She was not the only one.

"This is scary!" Katyusha roared from her tank. "Tanks? No problem! This? No thanks!"

All of the leaders in each tank rose up to watch their surroundings. Some, like Noriko of Duck Team, confidently went out completely, surveying their world tall like the Statue of Liberty in a world of slavery. Others, like Azusa, safely watched with only their upper halves exposed. Some, like Sodoko, watched from the safety of their turrets through opened hatches or vision slits in the turrets.

"Is this real?" asked Nekota, who just stuck out her head. "I thought we're in a game world or something!"

"This is loss of order!" commanded Erwin. "Like the French Revolution."

"Maybe that's a stretch," Oryou's voice echoed from Miho's radio. "But this sure looks like anarchy."

"N-no!" Sodoko groaned, her frightened voice audible. "Pu-public morals must st-still remain!"

Miho let them all talk, as she kept watching the masses flow by.

Suddenly, she saw them. Miho gulped, but stayed calm as she saw them, her head out of the cupola.

* * *

Them from her dreams.

Those who were formerly humans.

Now, no more.

* * *

She counted five of them lunging at the humans, four of them successful. One, which missed its target by mere millimeters, stood up again. Then, it shambled on, trying to grab at any random bystander. Squinting her eyes at it, she noticed that it did not jump again, but tried to grab anyone nearby. Most people, however, were too fast for it or somehow too slippery for it to grab. After the fifth time, it grabbed a Mexican wearing a leather jacket, who screamed:

"¡Los Muertos!" the man cried in horror, trying to wrestle free of the rotting hands.

Then, it bit into his left shoulder, and the man screamed. Miho winced at the sight of it all, as the victim continued to struggle in despair.

"What did he say?" asked a familiar voice over the radio. It sounded very young.

"Alice!" Miho called, fixing the radio to hear her more closely. "Alice, you OK?"

"Our leader is fine as day!" one of the women cried over the phone.

"Azumi!" another voice echoed. "I am the one who should talk!"

"No, me!" another distinct voice roared. "I am WORTHY of my cute leader's honor."

"Azumi! Megumi! Rumi!" Alice's small voice groaned, as the three women fought over the radio.

Miho lightly shook her head, even rolling her eyes.

"Girls," she said firmly. "This is no time to argue."

"Yes, ma'am!" the three women answered over the radio.

"So," Alice's voice returned. "What did that man say again? The one who got bitten?"

Miho and some others looked. The man was now down on the ground, the zombie over him and biting. Miho turned away at the sight, while she heard a few noises from others; she guessed that they threw up.

"The dead," translated Kay, as she stared from her cupola. "Poor Mexican guy..."

Miho continued to hear the same noises that haunted her. The screams. The screams of anger, pain, and desperation filled the air, as the five monsters continued their rampage. Miho then fixed her sound system.

"Commanders, friends, allies," she called over. "Do you see those five?"

"Them?" one of them called over; Miho recognized the nervous voice as the voice of Yuuki from the Rabbit Team.

"They are not humans," she plainly replied.

Miho winced, as multiple responses echoed all at once from her radio.

"Zombies!" some of them cried, while others just screamed in horror.

"Is this real?" yet some maintained their doubts.

"Awesome!" Noriko's voice roared, as she commanded her tank to turn around. "Let's fire on them!"

"Not so fast!" Miho called over. "Don't hit the innocent bystanders!"

"Oh!" Noriko's voice replied. "Sorry about that."

"But about them and everyone?" asked Akebi, whose voice was tearing up.

They watched in horror, as the five undead commenced feasting on their quarry. They ripped into the humans, tearing them like living animals.

Noriko winced, as she heard a few sounds from others, and she herself felt like throwing up. Taeko went up and comforted her leader.

"It's OK," she replied. "Everything will be alright...hopefully."

The zombies feasted on their hosts, ignoring the thousands streaming by. They suddenly rose up, their faces smeared with fresh blood.

Miho resisted the urge to throw up, as they started to eye the crowd for more victims. They then lunged, and tore into some, while others merely scratched and bit. One zombie, instead of eating its host, twisted the man's head, and left him a twisted mess, twitching before stopping for good.

"This is crazy!" Renta's voice roared. "I cannot believe that Oarai is still around, and now this!"

Miho raised her eyebrow, while others resisted the urge to sneer and stick out their tongues at them. In Japanese culture, it was rather rude to publicly mock at those in power, but Miho could tell that her teammates and even her school allies wanted to just "kick his butt" or something.

Suddenly, one of the people in the crowds caught Miho's eyes.

"Taiga!" she cried out.

Taiga and her sidekick both were running by, and Miho waved at them furiously.

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Taiga roared.

One moment they were taping the whole parade, the next moment the announcement came out. Fortunately, the girls were on top of a stone pedestal, allowing the girls some space and time to think and see the situation.

"We have to reach our friends' tanks!" her friend remarked.

"We better!" she agreed. "See?" That part of the crowd is thin! Let's...run!'

They ran through, and saw Miho waving at them!"

"That's her!" Taiga cried. "Let's go!"

Unfortunately, they passed by two of the zombies, which noticed them.

* * *

The two zombies stared at the two Japanese girls rushing by, and everybody on board the tanks saw the two bloodstained faces.

"Oh..." Anzu gulped.

Momo screamed, forcing Yuzu to calm down. Anzu went into her hatch to comfort her.

Miho heard three of the Rabbit Team girls audibly throw up.

"Sorry for my team," moaned Azusa. "Aya, Ayumi, and Yuuki are not feeling well."

"Shoot them with the machine gun!" Noriko commanded, as Akebi rotated the gun to try and fire at them carefully. "Those zombies will pay!"

Miho gulped, trying to restrain herself as she analyzed the two zombies. One was a former white man, dressed in fancy and clean suit. The other looked like a handsome man from East Asia; Miho suspected that he was a Chinese. However, his formerly bright skin was not stained with fresh blood. Both wore what appeared to have been remains of a guard uniform.

Both zombies bared their teeth, then lunged at the fleeing Oarai girls.

Akebi fired. Ten bullets rang out, missing the two running Oarai girls by mere inches. All of them hit the white zombie, which fell down. The other, unfazed, continued to charge and lunge at Taiga's sidekick.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, and kicked the zombie away. It fell down, stunned.

"Onee-chan!" Miho called out, coming out of her cupola. "Sis! Older sis!"

"Miporin!" Saori called out to her.

"Miho-san!" Hana warned her.

"Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari nervously called out to her.

"Miho..." Mako shook as she tried to stay calm.

Miho dropped down unto the asphalt road, and blinked her eyes. Streams of people continued to pass by, although they were now avoiding the tanks. All those panicked, confused, and desperate faces made her feel a little nauseous. Then, she saw one of them.

Maho watched her target, as it tried to slowly get up. Maho kicked it down. Suddenly, one of the other grabbed her, forcing Maho to wrestle with it. This time, the zombie appeared to have been a black person, with three bites on its neck. The stronger zombie was starting to push Maho down into the ground.

Miho ran towards the struggle, and came just in time to kick the zombie in the face. It fell down, and fell on top of the other zombie, which moaned. The black zombie then slowly tried to rise up.

"Let's go!" Miho told her sister, grabbing her by the right arm. The two ran to their tanks. Miho let go of Maho, as Maho ran up to her tank. Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Miho!" her sister's scream rang in her ears. "Watch out!"

She turned, but it was too late. A zombie, this time, a Japanese man, grabbed her throat, and opened its jaw wide.

Miho gulped, as she stared down into the jaw of black, yellow, and bloodstained teeth. So many memories of her past flashed through her eyes, as the teeth drew closer:

The good times with her sister.

The good times with her friends.

The good times with even her family, even her own mother...

"Bye-bye," she whispered.

Boom!

* * *

A shot rang out. It struck the attacker's throat, right at the spine. The zombie stumbled for a while, then collapsed.

Miho blinked, and turned around. A tall, long-haired figure held an AK-47 in her arms, standing as calm as ever.

"Nonna!" Miho yelled.

She noticed the hint of a smile in the tall girl's face, and smiled in return.

"How did you get that here?" Katyusha roared, surprised at how fast her main gunner managed to get out of the tank. "And an AK-47? Isn't that illegal?"

"I smuggled it," she calmly replied. "For security purposes."

She winked at Katyusha.

"Thank you so much," Miho said in gratitude.

"I owe you one, too," Maho said. "For saving my sister."

"It's what we do," Nonna plainly said, as Miho climbed back into her tank. She sighed in relief, as her team tried to move their tank.

Now that it was safe, Yukari went wild.

"This is awesome!" Yukari cried out. "Look, I have these three guides on how to survive a zombie apocalypse! Two of them from Max Brooks himself! It pains me that he has no tips on using tanks. But he was such an expert!"

Yukari was about to ramble more, but stopped when she looked at the reaction of her friends. Hana just blinked. Saori facepalmed. Mako shook violently. Miho had a nervous face.

"Yukari," Miho said. "This is real, not fictional, you know. And I almost got bitten, you know."

"Oh..." Yukari realized the gravity of her situation. "S-sorry, Nishizumi-dono. I forgot once you were safe."

"You're into that?!" a huge, enthusiastic voice boomed from Saori's radio transmission system. "Sergeant Oddball! High-five!"

"Kay?" Yukari asked. "You like that, too? Awesome!"

"You like zombies?!" Alisa's voice cracked through the transmission. "No wonder you brought a huge backpack in here!"

"Me too!" Yukari said, eyeing her colossal gear next to her. She blinked when she saw two giant backpacks together.

"Hey," she began. "When did I-"

"How did you girls know about that?" wailed Saori.

"I love to learn about zombies!" cried Rosehip's loud voice over the transmission.

"Rosehip!" moaned the voices of Rukuriri, Orange Pekoe, and Assam. "That is NOT a ladylike manner!"

"Hehe," came the muffled giggle of Darjeeling. "No wonder you have an unusually big backpack there."

"Wait a minute," Miho realized. "Whoever has a big backpack with you, say 'I do!'"

"I do!" cried the voices of Yuzu, Shinobu, Erwin, Karina, Pazomi (known as Nozomi), Nekota, and Hoshino. Each Oarai team has at least one member who was into zombies.

"I do," replied Miho.

"You too?!" all of her team except Yukari cried out in disbelief. Yukari just eyed her in delight.

"No wonder you brought another bag!" Yukari roared in excitement.

"Me two!" cried out Rosehip. "I do!"

"You already said that," the same three St. Gloriana moaned.

"Same here!" Kay called over the radio. "I do!"

Miho heard Alisa visibly groaning in the radio.

"I do!" Pepperoni roared over the transmission. "For the sake of Anzio!"

"I do!" Klara's calm voice echoed. "I was the one who suggested Nonna to smuggle in the rifle."

"You?" Katyusha's voice roared.

"I do!" the voices of Kinuyo and Aki blared.

Miho heard a weird mixture of reactions from the Chi-Ha-Tan and Keizoku's transmissions. She wondered what they were doing.

'I...I do," said Maho's voice.

"You like what?" all Kuromorimine students except Koume screamed in disbelief.

"That big backpack is yours?" Erika screamed.

"That is great!" Miho replied. "It means we have all of the supplies we need for the zombie survival."

"When did you all bring your bags in?" wailed Alisa's voice.

"A secret zombie survival club?" came in the voice of Orange Pekoe.

"Nope!" Yukari replied. "I told Miho, who got interested, who then told others."

Multiple voices groaned through the transmissions. Miho had a way of making other people like her, and unfortunately, that included spreading the "zombie" mania.

"I did," Miho giggled nervously, but stopped when she saw something through the vision slits. She got out of the cupola again.

"Miporin!" wailed Saori. "Don't try it again!"

Miho raised her body halfway up, and squinted her eyes. Suddenly, it came back in front of her again.

"Miho-san?" Hana asked.

"I thought I saw something pass by," she replied.

She DID see something, but it was so fast. It flew by, and she thought it looked like a dragonfly.

"Did you see something?" Miho asked her crew.

"I thought I saw a bird," said Yukari. "Something DID fly by, but it looked too big to be an insect."

"But it flapped FOUR wings," Hana remarked. "A bird flaps with only two."

"Umm..." Mako said nervously. "I...I am not liking this talk. It creeps me out."

More screams snapped the girls out of their talk, as Miho and some other people turned around to look. Most of them, after seeing the incident before, decided to look through the safety of their tanks' vision slits. Miho, Maho, and Alice, however, continued to watch from the top of their tank cupolas. Three of the five zombies continued to sprint at their targets, while the two immobilized ones tried to get up, but no avail.

"Girls," Miho called through the radio. "Those zombies are quite different."

"How so?" roared the nervous voice of Alisa, as others tuned in.

"They walk like normal zombies," Miho replied. "But it seems that if they wait long enough, they sprint much like humans. We sprint, and then have to rest. They do the same thing."

"So tire them out, then shoot?" asked Taeko's voice over the transmission.

"Yes," Miho replied. "Duck Team, use your machine gun carefully! Nonna-san, get your AK-47 ready! Everybody with machine guns on their tanks, get them ready!"

"Roger that!" they all cried.

Suddenly, she saw something.

"Girls!" Miho said. "Look!"

One of the zombies saw the tanks, especially the Duck Team's, as it turned its turret around to aim the machine gun. Suddenly, it leaped to the sides, like a crab, and took shelter behind a bus stop shed.

"Oh really?" Katyusha roared from her cupola, her head out now. "Smart zombies?"

"Eh?" Yukari cried out in disbelief. "My zombie survival guides say nothing about intelligent undead!"

It peaked from the shed, and a Hispanic man was running towards it.

"Fire at the shed!" Anchovy cried to her team. "Before it gets more!"

The greenish-colored tank fired, its shell flying through the masses. It struck the shed, causing the zombie to fly away from the explosion. Although the man was saved, he screamed out loud, and the crowds around the shed became even more raucous.

"Good thing nobody got hit..." Anchovy admitted. "I am not really trying that again for now."

"That is not even the least of our worries," Miho replied, her voice shaking. "Look over there."

All commanders now watched from their cupolas, their heads high up to see. Five more zombies approached.

The girls gasped.

* * *

Miho gulped at the sight. Screams of disbelief and shock echoed all around her, as they all gawked at _them_.

The people on top of the Karl-Gerat, safe from the attacks, also saw them, and even Shiho stared in disbelief, dropping her calm face; Miho was very surprised to see even her own mom looking nervous.

"That's bad," Miho remarked.

The five new zombies charged down at the fleeing crowds. One of them had abnormally long arms and legs, looking more like a spider. It leaped very high, from the road up to the top of a three-story building; it crouched like a grotesque cat, and leaped at a slim woman, slashing at her viciously. Miho could see blood and bits of skin fly off like water from a car wash.

The other was a gigantic zombie, two stories high with tusks out of its jaw. It roared, as it grabbed two humans, one in each hand. It commenced biting the man on its right arm, tearing off the head like an animal cracker. Miho and the others winced at the sight, and more girls threw up.

Three of them looked normal, but they were the ones that shocked the girls and everyone else the most.

These three approached in a steady march, as if living. The middle one had cracks on the skin that seemed to glow like embers. The one on its left looked bluish, as if semi-frozen; it was holding what looked like an icicle. The one on the right twitched with a glow of blue and white, as if shocked by volts of electricity; indeed, sparks flew around it, especially on what appeared to be a handheld game console, colored yellow.

"Am I seeing things?" Taiga questioned her own sanity, as she and her sidekick continued to broadcast their situation. After being saved, they climbed into the Centurion tank, but stayed on top of the turret to watch the crisis; Taiga's own friend even had the camera rolling.

"What is this, magic?" roared Renta from the siege mortar.

A cop suddenly appeared, and tried to take down the reddish zombie with a baton. The zombie shrugged off the blow, opened its mouth, and a blast of fire blew into the cop, forcing him to roll on the ground.

"A fire-breathing zombie?!" multiple girls roared in disbelief. Miho and all of the leaders gawked at the aftermath, as the poor cop immediately rolled on the ground, trying to extinguish the flames.

"A flamethrower won't work..." groaned Erwin, facepalming.

Another person tried to smack the bluish zombie with the icicle. The attacker, who was a random bystander with a baseball bat, found his bat stuck on the zombie. Undeterred, it opened its mouth, and the person was blasted with multiple icicles, who fell on the ground. The zombie then smashed its right fist into the ground, and the girls watched in horror, as the hordes of humans slipped, the asphalt now a dangerous flat of ice about 30 meters or 100 ft wide.

"Am I dreaming?" groaned Nekota. "I see this in video games, not in real life!"

It then tore off the bat, and froze it into a hideous mace covered in icicles, and commenced swinging it around. A few smart people dodged the blow, but most got pummeled in the face.

"So that means," began Nakajima. "The other one is..."

The last zombie shook, the bolts of electricity coursing through its body. Three men tried to take it down with their baseball bats, The zombie raised its hand, as if casting a spell, and massive bolts flew from its hands, electrocuting the poor three. Then, it sent them into a crowd; thousands fell down, as the shocks either stunned them, or killed them outright.

Yukari threw down her books, which scattered on the tank floor.

"Nope," she realized. "They won't help against them!"

"A Blazer, a Freezer, and a Shocker!" Nekota suddenly yelled out.

Miho blinked.

"How do you know?" some of the girls groaned back.

"Just making up words," Nekota replied.

Miho noticed the crowds thinning in front.

"Ready!" she commanded. The drivers revved up their engines, and they started to finally move away. Miho watched from behind, as the zombies respectively burned, froze, and electrocuted their targets with reckless abandon.

She shed a single tear, before tearing her eyes away to focus on moving forward.

"We move forward," she called over her radio. "No matter what happens."

"Roger!" the others chimed in agreement, as the tanks continued to move away from the chaos.

* * *

"This is too much for one day!" Saori roared, as the tanks and the siege mortar managed to move far away enough to avoid the onslaught of the five monstrous zombies. Still, the roads felt so far away, since the crowds after crowds of fleeing humans made it difficult to move.

Suddenly three helicopters flew overhead. Everybody looked up in anticipation.

"Yes!" multiple girls screamed. "We're saved!"

Three military helicopters hovered over three of the vehicles: the Karl-Gerat, the Centurion, and the Tiger I.

"Not us," observed Erwin, dropping her smile for the first time in a while.

"Oh come on!" Momo shrieked.

The biggest of the three flew over the siege mortar, and let out a ladder. Everyone on top of the siege mortar climbed up, including Renta Tsuji.

"For once," Momo growled through the transmissions. "I want to see him suffer..."

A few girls groaned in agreement.

"No-no," Miho replied. "Leave him alone. We're all humans, after all."

The other two helicopters let out their ladders. The Bermuda Trio girls let their commander Alice climb first, then Taiga and her sidekick, and then they climbed up. Maho, however, hesitated.

"Climb up the ladder!" Erika called.

Maho reached for the ladder. Then, she turned down to her teammates.

"Erika," she began. "Koume, Ritaiko, and Mauko. Do you trust me?"

"Oh..." all four voices whispered, realizing what was going to transpire. The other girls did not understand what was happening, except Miho.

Miho gasped, a single tear flowing down from her right cheek.

"Onee-chan..." she whispered.

Maho reached her hand at the ladder, then pushed it away.

"Nishizumi madam!" a loudspeaker blared from the helicopter. "We need to go! Climb up the ladder, please!"

Maho motioned for something inside, and Mauko gave her a loudspeaker.

"Either we all go," she spoke. "Or none go."

A large number of girls from the other tanks expressed admiration at Maho's resolve; Miho heard a good number of "oohs" and "ahs" from everyone. A few even clapped their hands, despite the chaos around them.

Suddenly, a huge roar resonated out, causing the girls to cover their ears. Miho turned around, as did the leaders in other tanks.

The same orc-like zombie was charging down the lane, knocking away humans and even zombies alike, like a bowling ball against the pins. The girls instinctively drove their tanks as fast as possible; fortunately, the crowds had thinned, so that the girls had more room to escape. The zombie slammed into the Karl-Gerat, causing it to bounce back and forth.

"Look out!" Miho called to the helicopter, which was trying to rescue Maho's team.

The pilot saw her signals, and flew away high enough to avoid the long, grotesque limbs of the "leaping" zombie. The abnormally elongated arms barely missed the ladder, causing the zombie to crash into a wall. Although its skull was intact, its neck snapped and the zombie collapsed unto the floor.

"Dead," Miho said, noticing its eyes from a distance. "Finally dead."

"We'll get you later!" the pilot called over, as he flew the helicopter away. "Get to Los Santos by train!"

"Los Santos?" asked Miho.

"Los Santos!" Kay called over the radio. "It's a new city built somewhere in the southwest of Los Angeles! There is a train station nearby, with a train designed to transport our tanks!"

"Of course!" Miho said, remembering that during the parade, they were supposed to transport the tanks down southwest, but Miho did not realize that the train was intending to take them to Los Santos.

"Why Los Santos?" Saori asked over the radio.

"It's the nearest city with military bases!" Kay answered. "And it's brand-new, so equipped to survive any apocalypse!"

"Even this?" Saori cried over the radio, but with a sense of hope.

"Hopefully so," Kay answered over the radio, but in a lower voice.

More zombies appeared, and continued to attack and eat their quarry. A group of little children were screaming at the top of their voice, which attracted a Blazer.

"Hey you!" a woman roared. "Get me!"

The Blazer turned its head around, smoke coming out of its mouth and nostrils. Hysterically screaming, the woman ran only a few feet, before the monster lunged at her, and drowned out her screams with its intense breaths of fire.

"Ooh," Miho winced at the sight. "I haven't seen someone burn alive in real life."

"More girls threw up," moaned the voice of Azusa. "Sorry about that."

"Hang in there!" Miho told them over the radio.

"Sorry to worry you..." Yuuki's voice echoed over. Miho could tell that she just threw up.

"Just hold on," Miho told them. "Let's get out of here!"

The tanks continued to roll over the roads. Roads that were run by pedestrians and onlookers now were filled with humans fleeing around, zombies attacking around, and a new sight unfolded before Miho:

Looting.

Thousands of people of all shapes and sizes started to smash the windows, and she saw in disbelief as they swarmed into stores through doors and windows alike, coming out with all kinds of merchandise.

"Shouldn't they escape?" blurted out Saori in disbelief.

"That's what some do in this world," Yukari admitted. "It's fair game."

"Let's wait," Miho said, sweating. "We'll do that only if it's OK to do."

Some of the looters started to attack each other, fighting over some accessories and valuables alike. Suddenly, three zombies appeared, and the looting crowd dispersed. Three of them tried to fight back, but the zombies were apparently stronger, and overwhelmed their prey as they bit viciously into them.

The tanks continued to lumber by such massacres, as the zombies attacked victims after victims.

More people screamed and roared, as more zombies appeared. Some who got bitten then rose up to escape with others. A few of them, however, twitched, as their faces revealed that they were turning. One of them, finally, roared and charged at an innocent woman, slamming into her and biting her.

"This is ridiculous!" Yukari groaned. "I was SO ready for slow zombies! And even fast ones! But a fire-breathing zombie and-and..."

"A Blazer, a Freezer, and a Shocker!" Nekota called over the radio. "I already named them before!"

"Let us name them as such," replied Darjeeling's voice in the same calm manner. Despite that, Miho sensed an air of nervousness in her voice.

"We'll do," Maho's voice chimed in.

"And Maho-sama," Darjeeling replied. "Thank you for choosing to stay with us."

"We are in this together," she merely replied. "Just as we did to save Oarai."

"Onee-chan," Miho began, but cleared her throat. "Alright, we're going to-"

Suddenly, something lunged at her, and she immediately struggled with it. Assuming that she was fighting against a zombie, she grabbed the throat and tried to strangle it. However, she stopped and just pushed it away.

It was a real human, a white, young man in his twenties.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, aghast. She was glad to NOT have killed him.

He did not reply, but his eyes said it all: "I want to survive, really bad!"

Suddenly, another roar blared from the giant zombie, causing Miho's attacker to panic and fall down.

"Sir!" she called him. "Hang on!"

He did not. He tumbled down to the floor, and just ran away, and three zombies noticed him and gave chase. Miho shook her head.

"Poor man," Miho replied.

"What's up with him?" Kay asked over the radio. "I saw him attack you! I thought he was a zombie!"

"Just a guy," Miho replied. "Who cares about himself and no one."

She looked around, as the 14 tanks continued to roll away from the parade site. Sites of panic were everywhere, with people pushing each other, punching each other, and even killing each other. Miho slowly shook her head.

"What a mess," she curtly replied.

"Hey," Katyusha's voice called over, sounding surprisingly like a little girl who was scared. "I am wondering...Why aren't there enough zombies?"

Miho blinked, as the other leaders popped out of their cupolas. A few girls even opened up their side hatches.

"You're right," Miho said. "In many zombie stories, there should be more zombies than this."

"I remember counting them!" Nekota called over. "I counted 40 zombies! But no more!"

"Are they even spreading the virus?" asked Momoga.

"They are!" Erwin said. "Didn't you notice one man turning?"

Miho stood up again, and surveyed the surroundings. She realized that Nekota was right; while more zombies did appear, they did not seem to be turning everybody around into zombies. In fact, she not only saw plenty of dead humans, but also dead zombies as well. Although seeing dead humans made her feel sick, Miho maintained her composure.

"That is odd," Miho whispered. "Something must be keeping their numbers in check."

"Is this zombie apocalypse?" Katyusha's voice roared, as she stood up to watch. "Yeah, we see zombies, but we only see a few of them!"

"And I saw something crash by," Azusa's voice blared. "And somehow knocked three of the zombies down."

At that moment, Miho remembered something.

"Girls!" she called to her teammates. "Have you seen something odd?"

"Nope!" was the universal reply.

"Wait a second," Nonna's voice echoed. She popped out, with Katyusha on her shoulders. Even in the outbreak, Katyusha liked to piggyback on Nonna, which made her feel tall.

"Have you noticed something?" asked Miho, yelling.

"Actually," she replied back, using a loudspeaker that she took out. "I saw a few animals roaming around."

"Escaped from the zoos, right?" asked Azusa, as she slowly raised her head out of the cupola.

"There was something odd about them," Nonna admitted. "I saw..."

She did not need to finish, but just pointed. The others looked.

* * *

"All survivors are once again urged to get to the nearest military quarantine zones," blared the announcer in the wide screens on a few skyscrapers. Her face was neutral and calm, which disgusted a few of the girls. A few people from the running masses even threw cans and small items at the screen. Miho noticed one man doing something odd with his middle finger, pointing it up at the woman on-screen.

"The military has quarantine zones in West Hollywood," said the announcer. "We are in the process of containing the riots."

"Riots!" some of the girls retorted.

"The US government likes to hide a lot," Nonna curtly stated what the others thought. "MKUltra and Snowden's exposé sure testify that."

"Who would be convinced?" retorted Yukari, shaking her head. "A riot does NOT require military quarantine zones."

"Excuse us," the announcer said. After a moment, she came back.

"We apologize," she continued. "That it was misreported as a riot; it is a pandemic in the Los Angeles and areas throughout California, especially the southern and central parts. We are in the process of containing the epidemic."

"Such a slip," retorted Mako, a clear hint of disgust in her voice. The other girls agreed.

"We report from the US military," she continued. "The whole California is on lockdown. However, much of the epidemic is occurring primarily in the southern parts. Residents in the north are advised to stay, until further notice."

"Jessica!" a voice roared, and a middle-aged white man blasted into the screen.

"Ben!" she roared. "This is important-"

"This too!" he declared. "A-a mysterious wall of solid rock now surrounds the entire Californian borders!"

"Ben!" Jessica roared. "That info is classified-"

 _Bzzzzztttt!_

The whole screen went blank. Then, after a few seconds, she appeared again, looking quite despondent.

"Sorry for the incident there," she began. "But the West Hollywood zone is not ready for quarantine, so please try and get to Los Santos as soon as possible."

Then, the screen blacked out again.

"Interesting," Miho noted, thinking. "She gave out conflicting details."

"Government cover-up?" Katyusha roared. "I can't believe they're doing it again! And now, they're not telling that there is a mysterious rock wall of sort that now keeps California closed off? Why can't they tell us more?"

A number of girls around her mumbled in agreement.

"That is true," Nonna admitted, and the others agreed. "But that was not what I was pointing."

"Huh?" the others asked.

"That is," she said, pointing. This time, the girls saw what Nonna really was pointing at:

A tiger.

* * *

"A Bengal tiger," Mako noted. "But something's odd; it's too big."

"Too big?" Miho asked, but saw what Mako meant.

The tiger walked around, ignoring the crowds of humans fleeing. She gasped, as its shoulder was higher than usual.

"It's-" she began, but was cut off by Kay.

"About five feet tall at the shoulder!" cried out Kay.

"Eh?" the other girls asked her.

"Kay!" Alisa screamed from the tank. "You're using the American measurement! Use the metric system!"

"Shoulder is 150 cm tall!" Miho gasped.

"WHAT?" roared the girls. "That's a colossal tiger!"

"And why..." Miho began, but watched.

The tiger stopped, and turned around. A zombie was sprinting at a target, a woman with tanned skin. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. A tiger growled, then charged and swiped at the zombie, ripping out its left arm in a flash. The woman turned around to see her "savior," and fainted on the spot.

"Seeing a zombie chase you," remarked Mako. "And a tiger coming at you at the same time sure gave her the shock of her life."

Miho nodded, and noticed that the tiger did not eat the zombie. It clawed and bit it until it stopped moving, after decapitating it with a bite. Sniffing, the tiger then spat repeatedly, and walked to a nearby fountain, and washed its mouth. Once again, hundreds of humans passed by, and the tiger ignored them, even the fainted woman on the ground.

"It's ignoring the humans," said Miho. "And attacking the zombies!"

"Interesting," said Nonna.

"A tiger is still a tiger!" roared Katyusha, fear and awe in her voice.

Suddenly, the tiger saw the tanks, and slowly strolled towards the steel bodies, growling.

"Let's just go," began Katyusha nervously.

The tiger continued to simply jog at the tanks. The girls started to fire up their tanks, and commenced their usual path to the train station that led to Los Santos.

As if it saw what was coming, the tiger sped up, and sprinted to the tanks.

"Get away!" some of the girls screamed. Akebi of Duck Team even fired her tank's attached machine gun at it. Somehow, it foresaw the attacks, and dodged them to the left, and continued to chase after the tanks.

While everybody else was coming into their hatches, Miho eyed it carefully. She saw something in its eyes, and gasped: hunger.

Quickly, she got down into the hatch, and pulled something from her bag.

"Here!" she pulled out something, waving it. "Come get it, kitty!"

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" a good number of girls roared, especially the leaders. "You can't tame a tiger that-"

The tiger lunged at the Panzer IV, its paws on the turret and main body, and sniffed the piece of ham. It then gobbled it down like a dog, and sighed in relief. Miho cautiously patted the giant feline, which was now cuddling up to her. It even made a sound, which vaguely reminded Miho of a purr.

"Easily..." the girls replied.

At first, Miho cautiously touched the tiger's back. Pleased, the tiger then moved closer, its whiskers tickling Miho.

"Hehe," she giggled.

The tiger stretched, as Miho now firmly petted it on its stomach, as it rolled on top of the turret. The leaders went out of their tanks, and watched in awe.

"How did you do that?" asked Saori. Yukari was beaming with delight, but from the safety of the tank.

"It did not look wild," she replied. "Zoo animals are still zoo animals, I guess?"

"That was...amazing," Darjeeling and Nonna both flatly replied, but their faces clearly showed signs of awe.

"Nonna!" Katyusha commanded. "I want a pet tiger!"

"Hai," she flatly replied. Miho wondered whether she's going to _actually_ do it.

Suddenly, the tiger turned around, growling. Miho noticed a two story-tall giant zombie in the distance; she guessed that it was the same one from before.

"Can you get it?" Miho asked the tiger.

The tiger, as if understanding, yawned and dropped down. Bent down, it glared at the zombie, as the tanks continued to roll by.

Miho watched, as the Centurion and the Karl-Gerat far away got swarmed by a large number of zombies. The monsters kept pushing at them, as if trying to overturn them.

"Now we see more," remarked Nekota. "When did they start to appear en masse?"

The tiger then charged into the giant zombie, and knocked it down flat on the floor. It fell unto a group of newspaper boxes, flattening them under its weight.

A large number of girls whistled and cheered.

"That was quite strong," said Miho, as the tiger commenced its savage bites and slashes at the zombie. It tried to get up, but the feline kept furiously ripping into it, causing it to remain down.

Teramoto shot pictures of the tiger's triumph with her ancient camera.

"Awesome!" she declared. "This will be one great shot!"

"If the government allows it through," Mako nonchalantly replied.

"Huh?" Teramoto asked. "What do-"

Miho, Teramoto, and the others suddenly saw a large number of helicopters overhead.

Some of them waved, trying to get their attention. Miho, however, noticed something different about those aircraft.

"Hey," she began. "Are they-"

"Move over!" a voice blared from one of the helicopters.

They all looked up, as a few helicopters dropped ladders, and a large number of military soldiers dropped down, and commenced shooting at the zombies.

"We're safe!" Azusa screamed from her hatch.

"Wait!" Kay cried through the radio. "Those helicopters don't have the insignia of the US forces!"

"What do you mean?" asked Miho.

"They normally have marks," began Kay. "That show their alleg-"

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and missed her by a few inches. She screamed, and hid into her tank.

"Watch it!" Kay went back up, raging. "Man, are you American soldiers?"

The soldiers did not reply, and suddenly started shooting at the zombies. Then, to the horror of the girls, they started to shoot at the crowds surrounding the tanks. Roars and screams echoed all the louder, as the human hordes fled away from the soldiers.

Suddenly, three of them started shooting at two of the tanks.

"Wow!" Noriko yelled, as a few bullets almost entered her team's fragile tank.

"Ahhhhh!" multiple screams rang out from the Rabbit Team's tank; despite its armor, the sounds of bullets hitting their tank scared them out of their wit.

"No!" Miho screamed, shocked at the turn of events.

"What are they doing?!" Katyusha, Kay, and Maho all screamed, both in horror and in shock.

"Save them!" Miho screamed out.

A huge roar echoed from behind, and Miho turned around to see the same tiger. Baring its teeth, it charged into the soldiers, who were equally shocked at the encounter.

"Wild tiger!" one of the soldiers screamed, trying to aim at the feline beast.

The tiger, however, somehow dodged all of the bullets, and commenced mauling the soldiers one-by-one. While it was doing that, Miho checked on the others.

"You OK?" she called over the radio. "Rabbit Team! Duck Team! Are you OK?"

"We're all fine!" Noriko's voice yelled. "But man, why did they attack us?"

"Us too!" Azusa called over the radio. "All six of us are safe!"

"A bullet almost hit me!" Akebi's voice screeched, as bullet holes riddled the poorly-armored tank. "Why did they?"

"Why are they shooting at us all of a sudden?" asked Saori nervously.

Suddenly, a huge earthquake struck. The crowds all around shook and fell down. The zombies lost their footing, and fell down as well. The soldiers also fell down, while some of them managed to climb the ladders, as the aircraft flew away. The tiger held on, and jumped to the Panzer IV's back.

"Brace yourself!" Miho called out. "Because-"

Cracks suddenly appeared on the asphalt roads, and the tanks slid down into multiple areas.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

 **OK, I hope this was good enough, building the tensions up more and more into the next chapter.**

 **And why did the soldiers attack the girls? Tune in next time to my next chapter!**

 **Please review and PM me; I am most concerned with the flow of dialogue. I will come back to revise it further, but I need some advice. Thank you!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Great Train Escape

**Let's get through this. This chapter is updated, in honor of Labor Day! Happy Labor Day, and I shout-out to all the blue-collar people and laborers for their hard work!**

 **So, panzer vor!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 5: The Great Train Escape**

 **Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **2:30 PM; July 8, 20XX**

"Oh..."

Miho shook her head, as she struggled to get up. She realized that she was thrown off from her cupola, but held on tight enough to avoid getting literally thrown out. Her left arm hurt from being strained, but Miho could tell that she had no sprain. Still, she felt her arm around, to make sure that there were no broken parts or something serious.

"None," she said with a smile.

She carefully got up, standing tall to check her surroundings. She expected the earthquake to cause massive cracks in the road, and the tanks deep inside of fissures. She was only half-right.

"We're still on a road," she mused. "But it seems that we fell into a depression, and the roads look cracked, but it seems that we can move through..."

"Gi-girls!" she remembered, calling out to her friends into the hatch. "Are you OK?"

"Ugh..." groaned Saori. "That was one bad fall! Even Japan did not feel this way in my whole life!"

"My mom felt something like this once," Hana's usual calm voice echoed, although Miho could tell that she was shaken. "Oh...back when she was younger. Ouch!"

Hana tried to move, but she noticed a small bruise in her left arm.

"No tank blast feels like that!" Yukari yelled out. "Man, if only all this was tank warfare...Ouch, did I get a concussion?"

"I-I..." Mako tried to say, but was too scared to say much. She somehow stayed intact, with no bruises or even any sign of concussion. Instead, she shivered in her seat, frozen with fear.

"Guess you're literally _frozen_ in place, huh?" asked Saori.

"Be-be...quiet, please," Mako mumbled, still shaking.

"Saori-chan!" Miho commanded her. "Do you still have the transmissions?"

"It's fuzzy," she replied. "But it will do!"

"You OK?" Miho cried out into the radio, fixing it.

"Duck Team _bbzztt_ OK!" Noriko cried out over the radio. "Just a few bumps and brui- _bbzzztt_ here!"

"Turtle _bbbzztt_ is good," replied Anzu through hers. "Momo is _bbbzzzttt_ crying bad."

"Hippo _bbzzttt_ is fine," replied Erwin. "That hurt."

"Our Rabbit _bbbzzztt_ girls are _bzzttt_!" replied Yuuki. "This isn't working!"

"Let me see!" Azusa's voice blared. "OK! This radio _bzzttt_ is not _bzzzt_! Radio not work!"

"Scared!" multiple girls screamed from the Rabbit Team's side.

"Hold on!" Miho called them over. She tried to run, but stopped when she heard more calls.

"Mallard good!" Sodoko called over; she realized that the radio was cracking, so had to shorten her sentences.

"Anteater!" Nekota blared, trying to avoid the static. "Good!"

"Nakajima!" Miho called to the last Oarai team.

"Leo- _bbzztt_ Team is _bzzztttt_!" she answered over the phone. "Good as good! Not radio!"

"Saori-chan!" Miho said to her. "Use your cell phone to text others!"

"Yes!" she answered, texting as fast as she could...

* * *

"That was...bad."

Orange Pekoe summarized what her whole team felt. Thanks to their tank's heavy armor, the team inside suffered no major injuries, as the tank merely grazed a few sharp boulders. While the girls of St. Gloriana were used to maintaining their composure while in tank combat, none of them were prepared for an unexpected earthquake to strike.

"Ooh," Assam moaned. "That was bad."

"Have you heard the saying," began Darjeeling. "That there is a-"

"No time for proverbs!" Assam and Orange Pekoe both told her, causing her to quiet down. She almost made a sad face, but quickly regained her composure.

"Well then," she replied. "Rukuriri, how is the tank?"

"Working," she replied. "But I bumped my head; I can still drive."

"We are in a depression of sort," observed Assam. "But we can climb out of here."

"I got the tea set!" Rosehip cried out at the top of her voice, holding the case. Orange Pekoe and Assam winced at her outburst.

"Is it safe?" Darjeeling calmly asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Sure!" she replied. "Ready to set the tea at your command!"

"Tank can still move," Rukuriri said, getting the Churchill to move. "Man, this is one big tank. At least the cracks are not bad..."

"Oh!" Darjeeling said, noticing her cell phone ring. She opened it.

"Ah," she replied, texting. "Saori-chan, tell Miho-san that we are as fine as day."

"Darjeeling-sama..." Orange Pekoe groaned, as the tank slowly escaped from the depression, and started to climb up towards the road.

"There is indeed," said Darjeeling. "A light at the end of the tunnel."

"Let's get out of the tunnel of apocalypse, then," said Orange Pekoe with a sigh, as Rukuriri continued to climb up the rather shallow depression up towards the top.

* * *

"That was nuts!"

Alisa roared, as their Firefly almost rolled over into its own depression. Like the other depressions, they ended up in their own, which blocked their sight from other tanks. Fortunately, they were small and shallow enough to climb out of.

"Hold your head," said Naomi calmly, blowing her gum. "This is no time to lose it."

"You mean decapitate?" she screamed in alarm.

"Not in the mood for jokes, huh?" Kay smirked, rubbing her forehead. "Good thing we suffered no concussion."

"Seriously!" Alisa wailed. "I just wanna go home!"

"And meet Takashi to confess?" asked Kay jokingly.

"Wait..." Alisa said, and stopped crying. "If I survive this, will he be impressed and confess?"

"In your dream," Naomi curtly replied, making a small smirk as Alisa threw a fit.

"Helena!" Kay commanded. "How is the tank?"

"It moves well," she breathed a sigh of relief, carefully driving the Firefly out of the depression.

"Oh!" Kay took out her cell phone, which was ringing. "Miho~."

"Stop with that!" Alisa roared. "I just wanna go and live!"

"Hopefully we do," Kay said, as she texted back. "Saori, please tell Miho that we are as strong as an American can get. And see you soon!"

* * *

Unbeknownst to the girls and the others, an eagle soared over the depressions, watching them. Each tank ended up in a depression. Although shallow and easy to get out, the depressions all were separated from each other, forcing the girls to get out carefully.

It circled around each tank, its white head and dark brown body a majestic contrast in the California sun. The sun blazed down upon the darkening world, while the eagle kept watch. However, it circled three times around one tank, which had a girl of light brown hair surveying her surroundings. She watched a girl with orange-brown hair texting profusely on her cell phone.

Its eyes watched the light brown-haired girl, who was not texting.

Suddenly, as if sensing its presence, the girl looked up, and eyed the eagle.

Their eyes met.

"Noble eyes," the eagle croaked, before flying down to a fence at the train station. "She's worth saving."

* * *

"Argghh!"

Anchovy groaned, as she crawled out of her cupola.

This reminds me of that time," she said. "When Miho fired on this same tank spot-on! Man, we've saved enough money just to fix this thing!"

"And that meant cutting down on our food budget!" groaned Pepperoni on the driver's seat. "Man, I think I bruised my stomach. Oh!"

"Do not throw up," Carpaccio winced, handing her a bath towel. "Please."

Pepperoni took it, nodded in gratitude, and readied herself. She twitched, coughed, and...nothing came out.

"Good," Carpaccio said. "You can keep that towel, just in case."

"Thanks," she replied, folding it and placing it in her laps. "Now, can I go?"

"Wait!" Anchovy declared, getting out of the tank. "Let me see...Good! Despite the quake, we have a way out!"

She motioned with her hands at Pepperoni, showing which way to get out. Salame and Carpaccio waited tensely, as the tank lurched.

"Hold it!" she called to Pepperoni, as the tank stopped then charged forward.

"Falling into an earthquake-made depression," remarked Carpaccio. "Sure sounds depressing."

"Oh please," grunted Pepperoni, as she drove the tank towards Anchovy. "It's ridiculous."

"But awesome!" Salame yelled, as Anchovy went back inside the tank.

"Good!" she began. "What did-oh! Miho's team is texting us!"

Anchovy checked her cell phone, read the message, and texted back, grinning.

"We're as good as new!" she declared. "We'll get through this, and go home!"

"You're on, Duce!" all other Anzio girls chimed in, as they managed to go up the hill towards freedom.

* * *

"What was that, Chernobyl?"

Katyusha roared, as she watched the aftermath of the earthquake with her head high up. Being such a huge tank, the KV-2 was stuck in deeper; its tracks trapped within the cracks of the depression.

"More like the Tunguska Impact," Nonna corrected. Katyush pouted in response.

"Can we even get this thing out?" began Katyusha. "Can we-oh."

The small figure of Nina managed to rev up the engine, and the behemoth managed to free from its trap. It roared, as it slowly but carefully went up the hill.

"Good job!" Katyusha complimented her.

"Just another job," replied Nina, blushing. "Thank you."

"Keep the turret straight!" Katyusha suddenly roared. Without a second thought, Klara quickly turned the system, preventing the giant turret from tilting the whole tank over. Alina also helped.

"Man!" Alina grunted. "This is still tough, even after manning this thing for all those months!"

"It's her favorite type," Nonna plainly replied, as she went out of the turret. "That's why we brought it for the whole America to see."

"Me first!" Katyusha roared, as she went out. The tank was crawling slow enough for the two to jump on the sides, and Katyusha walked alongside Nonna up the depression to check their surroundings.

"Man!" Katyusha moaned as they walked up. "You didn't need to say that much about me! Sure, I love the KV-2, being my favorite type of tank, but this IS the apocalypse!"

"I suggest you act more mature, maybe?" Nonna playfully suggested.

"Shut up!" Katyusha said, as they finally went up the depression.

"What the..." she gasped.

"We are at the train station," said Nonna plainly. "We saved a lot of time coming here."

"Wait! When did the outbreak start?" asked Katyusha, confused.

"The earthquake somehow carried us here a few minutes ago," she calmly replied. "Which I admit is...strange. At our speed, we were supposed to arrive here in about an hour."

"Well!" Katyusha proudly declared and looked around. "It looks like we can-hey!"

She took out her phone, and read the texts.

"Oh really?" she asked sarcastically, as she texted back. "I guess the radio is down. No wonder we cannot contact them!"

She kept texting back: "TELL PIROZHKI THAT WE ARE FINE HERE."

"Pirozhki?" Katyusha read the text, pouting. "Man! Saori does not know whom I was talking about!"

She re-texted, oblivious to Nonna's calm face turning pale. However, she quickly regained her composure, trying to stay calm.

"You're strangely quiet there," Katyusha remarked. "Why are you..."

She gazed at what silenced Nonna. The same tiger stood there.

"Wait," Katyusha said. "Is this...the same tiger as before?"

"It is," Nonna replied. "But now its shoulders are...180 cm tall."

It was the same tiger; Nonna and Katyusha could tell by its markings that it was a Bengal tiger. However, it was much bigger.

"When did it grow so big?" asked Katyusha in a low whisper. "And so fast?"

"After the earthquake," replied Nonna, with unease in her voice.

"That makes no sense!" Katyusha suddenly roared. The tiger winced at her outburst.

"Oh!" Katyusha childishly apologized. "Sorry."

"I good."

Katyusha and Nonna both blinked, their faces paling and sweating.

"Um," Nonna began, but stopped.

"Did..." Katyusha began, but also stopped.

They stared at the tiger. They almost _swore_ internally that they heard the tiger _talk_.

"Can you...talk?" asked Nonna slowly but carefully.

"I talk," the tiger replied, grunting and nodding its giant head. It looked at Katyusha in the eyes, who flinched and shook.

"You want me as pet?" it asked.

"Umm," Katyusha replied. "Y-yeah, but you..."

"Please," it grunted in annoyance, turning to look around. "Where is the Chosen girl?"

"Chosen?" the two asked.

"The girl who gave me meat," it replied.

The two looked at each other, and shrugged in silence.

"Very well," it said. "Ah, that flying thing."

The three noticed a helicopter in the distance, the same one that tried to rescue the Kuromorimine team.

"Why it want to fly them?" asked the tiger.

"Umm," Katyusha began. "It's...well..."

"Maho, the sister of the girl who gave you the ham, is chosen to be the representative for the Japanese team in the international tank sport," replied Nonna, careful to choose her words carefully. She did not know whether the tiger could understand _Senshadou_.

"I see," it replied, licking its paws and stretching. "Well, what's name of her sister?"

"Miho," Katyusha replied, but still shaking.

"I see," it replied. "Such a nice girl, knowing that I need food. She has the eyes of a true hero."

"Sorry?" they began to ask, but heard their tank coming up.

"I go," the tiger said. "I stop the thing."

"Why?" asked Katyusha.

"Maho needs to stay," it plainly replied, before leaping away in the direction of the helicopter. "And that company...I trust not."

"Katyusha-sama!" the girls from the tank roared, as they managed to get the KV-2 out of the depression.

Katyusha and Nonna said nothing but stared at the tiger.

"You OK?" asked Nina, as she came out with Klara and Alina.

"What happened there?" asked Klara. "You two stood as still as stone, as if you saw a ghost or something."

"Umm..." Katyusha began, then turned to face Nonna.

Nonna shook her head, trying to say "no" to her request.

"Nonna!" she spoke. "I am the commander; you must explain to them!"

"Oh boy..." Nonna shook her head in disbelief. "How can I explain a _talking_ tiger to them..."

* * *

 **Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **3:00 PM; July 8, 20XX**

"We are not going!"

Maho declared to the helicopter via her loudspeaker. Unlike the previous teams, her team was in a great spot; their tank somehow was in a depression that was not very steep. While others barely managed to move their tanks out with some effort, her team's Tiger I was in a very gradual slope, so that the tank was easy to take out. However, the same helicopter came over, letting down the same ladder. Maho kept pushing it away.

"Didn't you tell me to go to Los Santos?" Maho told them. "Why are you still persistent?"

"You are the representative for the Japanese team!" the pilot called over. "And we have orders from the JSF to save you, so that you can live for that international tournament!"

"Excuse me!" she retorted back. "Saving me, but not the others? Is that Senshadou? Is that even dignity?"

"We are just following orders!" one of the soldiers inside the helicopter roared. The helicopter continued to hover, its blades whirling around and around.

"Orders?" Maho angrily blared. "You men sure know how to treat girls as 'unequal,' huh?"

"Alright!" she declared again. "I will go up, if you answer one question. And make it a good one!"

"Yes, please!" the people in the helicopter cried out.

"Why did the soldiers attack us?" she asked.

Silence, as the blades of the helicopter continued to spin around. Maho frowned at the lack of response, as zombies and humans swarmed in the background.

"Well?" she roared. "Some soldiers attacked the Duck and Rabbit teams' tanks! What happened there? Some soldiers attacked my sister's own friends! What happened there?"

"Umm..." one of the soldiers began to speak through the speaker. "We..."

"Answer me!" Mako shouted.

"It was..." another called over, audibly snatching the microphone away. "We...we are working on behalf of someone else."

"And who are they?" asked Maho angrily.

"They..." the same soldier tried to answer, but was hesitant. Suddenly, the microphone was snatched away, and the pilot was talking.

He sighed.

"I am going to be dishonorably discharged for this," he declared. "But oh well:we are one of an elite group of private military soldiers, hired by some secret lab agency to shoot down specific girls for experiments."

Silence between the two filled the air, while other sounds roared in the background. Tanks continued to roar, struggling to get out of their traps. Zombies roared, hunting down their quarry. Humans filled the air with their own sounds of roars, screams, and moans.

"You what?" all five Kuromorimine girls finally roared in disbelief. Maho furiously kicked the ladder away, which got entangled in a rocky outcrop nearby the depression.

"Technically put," the pilot sighed, as his comrades tried to free the ladder. "They targeted the wrong girls; they were supposed to target..."

"Who?" Maho hissed at them.

"Well..." the pilot tried to say something. "The...Legend, right?"

"My own sister, right?" Maho hissed.

"Not kill her," the pilot explained. "But..."

He gulped, which was more than enough of an answer.

"You monsters," Maho declared. "I am sticking with my friends, and my family here!"

"But!" Koume shouted, trying to contain her indignace. "How do you know about this?"

"I am a renegade now," the pilot bluntly said. "Now, I am in big trouble."

"But you have to come with us!" one of soldiers roared. "Or we'll have to..."

He brought out his carbine, and aimed not at the girls, but at the girls' legs and limbs.

"We may have to incapacitate you," the soldier declared. "We have to follow orders, even if it means injuring you to save you."

"Save my butts," Maho taunted, and glimpsed something in her left, causing her to grin. "Because you'll get what you deserve."

A huge roar echoed, as the tiger leaped at the helicopter.

* * *

"Girls!"

Kinuyo checked upon her Chi-Ha-Tan teammates. All looked fine, except for Hosomi. Her victory rolls were tangled into a spiky mess.

"We are OK!" they all declared, saluting her.

"That was one crazy fall!" Kinuyo declared, as she looked out of her cupola. "OK! We can climb this up! Hurry before the quake strikes!"

"Roger that!" Haru Tamada answered, as she forced the tank to move. It rapidly climbed up the slope, and they all ended up on top in a few seconds.

"Yay!" they all declared, and jumped out of the tank.

Kinuyo stood up on the hatch, and watched her surroundings. She saw all other tanks out, except for one.

"Hey," she began. "Where is BT-"

She blinked, as a huge roar echoed not far away. She and the others looked up, and gasped as a colossal tiger was trying to climb up a ladder. The helicopter was flying furiously around, trying to shake off its attacker. Soldiers in the aircraft tried to aim to shoot, but their bullets kept flying around.

"Ah!" Fukuda ducked in horror, as a stray bullet grazed her helmet.

"Get back in!" Kinuyo commanded her team, who obeyed without hesitation. They all got in, just as a few more bullets hit the cupola, missing Kinuyo by mere inches. She watched from the safety of her tank, as the tiger continued to climb up the ladder.

"What is this!" roared one of soldiers in disbelief. "This was NOT in our guidelines!"

The tiger snarled, and managed to climb into the main body of the helicopter. Shrieks and screams rang out, as soldier after soldier dropped into the asphalt below. Cracks and crunches were audible, as four soldiers in total fell down.

Kinuyo winced at the sight.

"That's the same tiger," she noted. "And the helicopter is the one that tried to save Maho. Why would it come back again?"

"Guess the tiger knew something we don't," said Fukuda.

"How is that possible?" asked Haru Tamada, but watched in horror, as the helicopter danced around erratically, and slammed into a concrete barrier nearby the train station. The tiger leaped out just in time, and the crash erupted into a huge bonfire.

The tiger looked back, and lied down, casually licking its paws.

"Well, man down," Hosomi remarked, fixing her hair. "Or in this case, helicopter down."

Suddenly, a bluish body of steel appeared in front of them.

"The Jatkosota team!" Kinuyo shouted.

"Four men down," said the leader of the bluish tank, sitting casually on top its turret. "Plus the pilot, beyond help."

Mika noted the four fallen soldiers, playing with her kantele, a string instrument from Finland, befitting her school's Finnish theme. Her team managed to drive their tank out of their own depression; in reality, they were waiting for the helicopter to "do something."

"How did you know that it will fall?" asked Aki.

"The wind is blowing," answered Mika. "I went with its flow."

"Please..." Mikko grunted, as she drove the tank to the bodies.

Mika calmly hopped down, and searched the body of the least bloody one. A white, young man, the body appeared quite dead.

Suddenly, it groaned.

"Oh..." he moaned. "That was one fall."

"Mind if I?" Mika asked calmly, as she took out his belt full of firearms and tools.

"Whatever," the soldier groaned. "This is the end for me."

"Seriously?" Kinuyo yelled out. "Why leave him for dead?"

"He's beyond help," Mika calmly replied.

"She's right," Nonna said, approaching the next body, with Katyusha following closely behind, squirming. "All four are still breathing, but cannot be helped."

"Just take our stuff," one of the fallen soldiers moaned. "Use them for yourself."

Mika, Kinuyo, and Nonna nodded, and took out as much as they could.

"But before you go," said Nonna, bowing down in respect. "Why even shoot?"

"Guess I have no choice," said one of them. "Since I am now almost at the Gates of Hades, I am pilot, and I tell you one thing-ack!"

The pilot coughed out blood.

"One thing to help," he moaned. "04041968."

One thing to help: 04041968."

"Eh?" Nonna asked, but the man closed his eyes, and she took out a white blanket to cover him up.

"Gotta go," Mika said, jumping into her hatch. "The dead are coming."

The girls quickly looted the soldiers' supplies, ran to their tanks, and commenced driving them to the train station, as the zombies slowly descended upon the fallen four.

* * *

 **Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **3:16 PM; July 8, 20XX**

"Everybody's good!" Saori declared, shaking her hands. The minutes of frantic texting had numbed her fingers, to the point that she held them out, as if contagious and dirty.

"OK!" Miho began. "I-oh!"

She suddenly collapsed, her legs too tired to move. She noticed a strange ribbon-like wave of light magenta color pass by; she guessed that it somehow immobilized her legs.

"Miho!" her friends roared in alarm, shocked at their leader's sudden condition.

"I am OK!" she declared, which was actually true. "But I can't walk..."

Something licked and purred by her side.

"It's you again," she said, petting the tiger.

"I am here," it grunted.

"Yes," she began. "And oh..."

Miho's eyes widened, but smiled.

"A talking tiger," she answered and smiled nervously, petting it still.

"You a brave soul," it moaned happily. "You deserve honor."

"Huh?" she asked. "What do you-wow!"

The tiger suddenly used its huge head to catapult Miho off the ground, and Miho found herself on its back. Guessing what she had to do, she moved around, and got her legs into a horse-riding position.

"This is strange," she remarked. "A human riding on a tiger...Not something I imagine."

She giggled nervously, as the tiger trotted towards the train station, followed by other tanks.

All other girls gawked at the sight in front of them. Miho's team stared in disbelief at their own leader, riding on a tiger like a noblewoman riding on a beautiful horse.

"Are you kidding me?" said Saori, who represented what all of the other girls in her team thought, as she photographed the amazing sight.

"Goodness me!" Erwin declared, as the whole Hippo Team bowed down at Miho. "You are a noble one."

"No-no!" Miho tried to explain away, waving away. The tiger merely sniffed, which sounded like a snicker as it strolled along the Panzer IV, which was now next to it.

"That's cool!" Azusa admitted. The girls on the Rabbit Team started to take pictures of Miho.

"Awesome!" the girls from the Duck, Anteater, and Leopon Teams roared.

"Isn't that illegal?" Sodoko groaned.

"It's apocalypse, you know!" Gomoyo groaned from her seat.

"It's a grateful tiger," remarked Darjeeling, visibly impressed. "Based on the tale of the grateful lion, you know."

"Man!" Kay groaned. "I've always wished to ride on a lion, but a tiger? Great!"

"Can't argue against that," the Anzio and Jatkosota girls chimed in.

"Let's charge!" the Chi-Ha-Tan girls screamed, revving up their engine to follow alongside the tiger. It just grunted, and trotted by.

"Hey!" Erika roared. "She's riding on one!"

"Are you jealous?" Maho teased her vice commander.

"N-n...nobly she rides!" Erika decided to say. She wanted to say "no," but felt that it was _not_ a good idea to lie at her commander.

Maho smirked.

"We already ride one," she commented.

"Eh?"

"The 'Tiger I'," Maho chuckled, tapping on their tank.

All except Erika laughed out loud, tears falling down. Koume giggled cutely, glad for her commander's more positive side.

Erika gave herself a big facepalm, slapping so hard that a faint red mark showed where her hand slapped.

"Nishizumi-san!" she roared. "This is no time for jokes! And you're not the type to joke, either!"

"We sometimes need to," Maho said. "In order to keep ourselves from becoming like them."

She pointed at a crowd. Some of the girls, including Miho, looked. The tiger ignored it, but Miho could tell that the tiger already knew what was happening.

* * *

In the distance, a family of five was by themselves, separate from the crowds of humans and zombies that were running by. A husband, a wife, a tall son, and two short children (one boy and one girl) were both staring in horror at two zombies. The zombies had abnormally long arms and legs, and were about to pounce.

"Oh no," whispered Miho under her own breath.

"They're going to leave," said the tiger.

"Who?" she asked, but the tiger just pointed with its head.

The father and his oldest son made a move, and based on the tiger's reply, Miho gasped at what was going to happen.

"Honey!" the wife yelled. "Don't leave us-"

The father and his oldest son both pushed the three in front, and ran away as the two slashed at the three helpless victims. Multiple gasps and screams rang out from the hatches of the tanks, as the zombies focused on two of their own victims, biting them hard.

The little girl managed to free herself, and tried to run away in the direction of her father and brother, only to get hit by a running man, causing her to collapse unto the ground. She wept profusely, attracting the attention of a shambling zombie, which then knelt down and finished her off.

Some of the girls from the tanks shook their heads in disbelief. Some cried. A few held their mouths, trying to not throw up again.

"Sorry," Azusa said. "Aya and Karina threw up again."

"I wanted all of us to be together," said Maho calmly. "Sometimes, even a little laughter goes a long way to help."

"Oh," Erika understood.

Koume sighed in resignation at the sight, while the other girls inside the Tiger I shook in horror.

"It's OK," Maho said, patting her on the right shoulder. "I am not good at jokes, either."

"But you pulled a good one," Erika said, snickering.

Then, all five girls on the Tiger I laughed, as Miho smiled on.

"Why did they laugh?" asked Azusa nervously.

"To improve morale," answered Maho, as her tank drove by Azusa's. "Sorry for the misunderstanding there."

The tiger sniffed at the tank of its namesake, grunted, and continued to move towards the station.

* * *

 **Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **3:30 PM; July 8, 20XX**

14 WWII-era tanks lumbered by, as swarms of people continued to flood in the distance. Bodies of humans and zombies alike littered the streets behind them, although there were more humans than zombies. All tanks managed to squeeze into a vehicular entrance, and beheld the sight of the abandoned but functional train.

Miho sighed.

"I hope we're ready for the worst," she replied to herself.

She fixed her radio transmissions, then went out of her cupola. She dropped down to the floor, and ran up to the train. She counted six empty, flat freight wagons, which were obviously the ones that could transport the tanks; the ramps were also in place.

"OK," she said, and fixed her radio to both yell with her voice, and through the radio.

"Are you alright?" she asked everyone else.

"As strong as steel," Darjeeling replied poetically. Her whole team, except Rukuriri the driver, went out.

"Still alive!" Kay cheered, standing high with Helena driving. Alisa poured a bottle of water unto her own forehead, panting badly.

"Hungry," Anchovy groaned. Pepperoni continued to drive, while Anchovy, Carpaccio, and Salame both dropped down to the floor.

"For flesh?" teased Carpaccio in the background.

"No!" she replied, chuckling.

"I am as tall as ever!" Katyusha cried from her radio, rising out of the cupola, piggybacking on the back of Nonna. Nina continued to drive, as the rest of her team went out.

"And still as cute as ever," Nonna whispered into the radio, causing Miho to giggle as Katyusha went ballistic, who overheard the whisper.

"Still strong," Maho bluntly stated, as her whole team went out to salute, before Koume quickly went back in to drive the Tiger I.

"We're ready to charge as ever!" Kinuyo declared. All of her team went out, gave a dramatic bow (to Miho's embarrassment), and ran around the train to check.

"Make sure you have one to drive your tank!" she told them.

"Oh yes!" Kinuyo said, motioning Hosomi to drive, who went in without question.

"The wind is blowing well," Mika merely replied, which Miho assumed (correctly) to mean that her team was well, as they all went out, except for Mikko, who continued to drive.

"But to be honest," said Saori, as she went out. "I admit that we managed to survive this long, and still kept our sanity!"

"Well," said Yukari, as she leaped unto one of the freight wagons. "Our leaders are strong. A strong-willed leader with good conscience keeps everyone in line, you know."

"I am so glad," Mako grunted, with a hint of both nervousness and happiness in her voice as she drove the tank up the ramp that was already there.

"But you are right," Miho said. "Even after seeing all of the atrocities, I am still calm as ever."

"I wonder if that's what Senshadou did to us," Kay wondered, stretching. "Senshadou is all about teaching us to be motherly, I heard long ago. Guess it also taught us how to keep our heads high even in an apocalypse."

"Well," Katyusha remarked. "Now that I think about it, every match we've been in was a taste of the apocalypse."

Everybody, including Miho and Maho, nodded in firm agreement.

"We're OK..." a couple of voices cracked through the radio.

"Azusa!" Miho called over. "Are they alright?"

"Actually, we are," she answered. "The girls got hit hard on the stomachs, and somehow did it again."

"I thought they threw up because of the horrific things we saw," said Mako.

"At first," Azusa answered. "But we're willing to survive this; we're in this together, aren't we?"

Everybody nodded in firm agreement.

"Hey!" Rosehip, who was way ahead of the crowd, roared from far away. "Is the locomotive working?"

"A what?" Kinuyo asked, roaring back in response.

"An engine," Darjeeling said. "And you should not..."

Two groups, one zombie and one human, charged down to the station.

"...yell loudly," Assam finished.

"It's apocalypse!" Alisa screamed, as the girls wasted no time in getting their tanks onboard the train cars.

"Get the locomotive working!" roared Kay, as she frantically helped others.

While the drivers pushed the tanks unto the ramps, some of the girls helped to push them, hoping to give them a little help. Some of them ran up to the locomotive, in an effort to turn it on.

Some, however, stayed put.

"Looks like we have to fight," said Miho. "Commanders, everyone! Get the turrets ready!"

"Roger that!" everybody got into their positions. All except the BT-42 had machine guns, and directed their turrets so that the machine guns were aiming at the hordes. The BT-42, however, used its cannon.

"Don't fire at the humans!" Miho began. "Because they-"

Screams and roars rang out, as the two groups collided. The human horde that wanted to ride the tank train clashed with the zombie horde that was drawn to the train station by the girls' screams. The two groups soon lost interest in the train, as the two swarmed at each other, trying to overwhelm the other.

Most of the girls stared, while a few, such as Miho, shook their heads in disappointment.

"This is the apocalypse," remarked Yukari, sadness in her voice. "After all, some stay strong, like us. Others just...yeah."

"Take the train!" Kay roared, as the girls worked frantically to check their tanks. Knowing that they were safe from the hordes, the girls refocused to keeping their tanks safe. Once they knew they were secured, the girls then proceeded to try and carry the ramps.

"Too...heavy!" many of them groaned.

"Just leave them!" Maho called. "Climb aboard!"

"How are the girls doing with the engine?" asked Darjeeling.

* * *

"Oh no..."

The girls who ran up to the locomotive gasped.

"What is it?" asked Miho over the radio.

"Good news is," Taeko called over the radio. "The engine is running already, so we can go now."

"Great!" Miho answered.

"The bad news is," Taeko continued. "The driver is inside...and is."

Miho knew what she meant.

* * *

Eight of the girls went up to the locomotive to check upon it. It was still on, which meant that the train could finally go. However, the train driver apparently was not fortunately so.

"How can we..." Caesar trailed off. The zombified driver turned its head around back and forth, trying to see something.

"What's going on there?" asked Nakajima and Hoshino, who were still checking the engine to make sure that it was working well. Unlike the other six staring into the driver's station, the two mechanics were oblivious to the situation, as they focused on maintaining the machine.

"How can I..." began Taeko, fidgeting with her radio.

"...know how to..." continued Rosehip, nervously pouring her tea into a cup.

"...get this guy out," Klara finished. "And how come you are drinking tea?"

"I blow gum," Naomi said, blowing it. "It's a habit, like her drinking tea."

"No-no-no!" Erika groaned. "We're not here to talk about tea or gum; we're here to get that _thing_ out!"

It then turned around, moaning as it approached out of the door.

"OK..." Taeko said.

"Get ready..."Erika warned, getting into her fighting stance, as she and everybody else backed away.

The zombie crept out, then fell unto the floor. Instead of falling headfirst, the zombie somehow raised its arms, and crashed down with its arms.

 _Crack._

"Ouch," noted Caesar. "It broke both arms."

"Ohh..." the zombie moaned; the girls wondered whether it was moaning in pain or not.

It then turned around, and the Leopon girls saw it and backed away.

"Anyone with weapons?" asked Erika nervously.

"Nope," everybody else replied.

"Klara! Rosehip! Hoshino!" Erika shouted. "You have the zombie survival bags, right?"

"We left them in the tanks," was their simultaneous reply. Erika slapped her face hard.

The zombie slowly shambled, moaning as it slashed the air with its broken arms. The girls kept at a safe distance.

"Man!" Maho grunted, dodging the attacks. "Can't we get some help from anyone, or even a tiger or something cool?"

"Need help?" a croaking, high-pitched voice rang behind them.

All eight girls turned around.

It was a bald eagle.

"Did I hear that bird talk?" Erika asked, aghast. "And it's bigger than any eagle I've seen!"

"Cool!" Rosehip declared.

"Can you?" Naomi asked, but even _she_ was surprised at an EAGLE that talked.

"Now they were not kidding," Klara reminisced. "Nonna calmly but confidently told me about a talking tiger..."

"Now, a talking eagle?" Erika roared, causing the zombie to focus on her. It shambled towards her, arms flailing. Erika dodged it again.

"Yes, please," Taeko replied, giving it a small bow.

The bald eagle whistled, then swooped down at the zombie.

"Aarrrghghhg!" the zombie hoarsely moaned, as the sharp talons dug into the monster's eyes and face.

"Escape!" the eagle cackled.

The girls nodded, and went inside the locomotive, as the battle raged outside.

"Get ready!" Nakajima said, revving up the engine to move forward.

"Can we climb back?" asked Caesar.

Taeko, being used to athletic training as a volleyball player, jumped up and climbed up to the top of a freight car behind the engine. Unlike the flat cars behind it, the car right behind the engine was a seemingly empty cargo container car. She looked behind.

"Yes!" she answered.

"Then we're off!" Nakajima began.

"Wait!" Taeko yelled. "Wait until I get notice from Miho! Miho, are you all done?"

"OK, yes!" she replied back to Nakajima. "Miho and everybody's good! Hit it!"

The train groaned, then started to grind forward. The black, gargantuan locomotive groaned, as it pulled its cargo forward.

"Good thing we're mechanics," said Nakajima, whistling.

"How did you know how to man this thing?" asked Caesar.

"We're mechanics," answered Hoshino. "To be honest, we read books on how to man a train, while in our hotel."

"It was your idea," said Nakajima. "So, that's the reason for reading it; you were ready in case of the zombie apocalypse, right?"

Hoshina blushed in embarrassment.

"OK!" said Caesar. "The only way is forward. _Non ducor, duco_!"

"Eh?" asked Erika.

"I am not led, I lead," translated Klara.

"How did you know?" asked Caesar, amazed.

"A little Latin I learned from a Russian class," answered Klara.

Caesar tilted her head.

"Hello?" Klara said. "Russia considered itself at one time as 'Second Rome.' Hence, we had a little Latin influence. The word 'czar' is based on your name."

"Oh..." Caesar replied, impressed as the eagle continued to flail in the background, ripping at the zombie.

"Well then," Klara said. "Why not say it together?"

Caesar grinned, as she and others noticed the zombie fall down, the eagle victorious.

" _Non ducor, duco_!"

* * *

"Finally!" Katyusha roared, as the train screeched, then started to move. The train had the locomotive at the front, pulling a freight car with a cargo container. Behind it, five flat freight cars followed suit, each with three tanks on top. There was another flat car behind, reserved for the Karl-Gerat and Centurion, but the girls decided to detach it, because it was not needed.

"We're going!" yelled Anzu, lying comfortably on her Hetzer. "Girls, let's go to freedom and safe home!"

Everybody, even those from other schools, cheered.

"We're finally going somewhere safe," said Miho, grinning as she surveyed the surroundings on top of her tank. Her smile vanished, as she witnessed more chaos all around...

In the distance, fires sprang out, as the people panicked and continued to run around. Strangely, despite the increasing number of zombies, there were more dead humans than zombified ones. Thousands of humans started to attack each other, overwhelmed by a combination of panic and fear. It was madness, brought on not by the zombies, but by the humans' mass hysteria.

She also saw a few animals on the street. The same tiger that gave her a ride charged into a horde of zombies, mauling them. She noticed a giant eagle swoop down, carrying up a Blazer, before dropping it down with a thud. She squinted at them, trying to understand what was going on...

Suddenly, Miho heard a noise in front of her, and turned around.

"Look out!" she screamed, but three men ran out of the supposedly empty intermodal container.

"Everybody get down!" the hoarse voices of the men roared.

Wielding their carbines into the air, the men quickly forced the girls into a submissive posture. Almost all girls ducked down, either into their tanks or on top of the car floors.

"Well, well," said the leader of them, the only one wearing a red cap hat. All three wore black ski masks, and appeared to wear thick black jackets with what looked like ammo pouches and belts of all kinds of items all over them. They looked quite well-prepared for the apocalypse.

"This is one lovely girl," said the leader, attempting to caress Miho's breasts. Miho instinctively pushed her body at him, forcing him to just grab her around.

"Hold your guns, ladies!" the men screamed at the girls. "We have your leader hostage! Drop your guns, if you have any!"

Nonna was directing her AK-47 at them, but gradually dropped it. She knelt down, laying it on the ground.

"Good girl," said one of the henchmen.

"Now," the leader began. "What do-"

He did not finish his sentence, as four girls slammed into the two bandits. One girl leaped at the leader, and delivered a very serious kick.

"Uf!" he groaned, letting go of Miho.

"Onee-chan!" she cried out.

"Nobody," Maho said, pummeling the bandit leader. "Messes-with-my-sis!"

Every word that Maho said was followed by a punch to the leader's face.

"Me-uf! Mer-uf! Mercy!" he moaned.

Maho coughed, then grabbed him and gave him a sucker punch, knocking him unconscious.

"Got the other down!" Taeko and Klara said, immobilizing one bandit, groaning with his face to the metal floor of the train car.

"Us too!" Akebi and Shinobu declared, whose bandit tried to wrest free. They gave him a good number of punches, knocking him down.

"OK," Maho finally sighed in relief. "Let's-"

"Hold it!"

Another bandit appeared, who wrapped his left arm around Nina. The other girls backed away, but Miho noticed something in her face. She looked unusually calm, for some reason.

She turned around to look at the Pravda team. All of them seemed relatively unfazed.

Miho tilted her head, confused.

"I got your friend!" he roared, pointing a Desert Eagle gun at the girls. "Don't you dare to come any closer!"

"Whatever," Katyusha retorted. "Nina, do it."

"What do you-wow-wha-wha!"

Nina was a small girl, less than five feet tall and a little shorter than her leader Katyusha. However, she was the loader of the KV-2 tank; each shell weighs at about 40 kg, which would be about 88 lb in America. A few times, she managed to lift at least a shell weighing in at a whopping 50 kg, which was about 110 lb!

So, with orders from Katyusha, Nina just shrugged and lifted up the taller, heavier man with ease, catching him off-guard.

"What's this pint-size of a lifter!" he roared. "And-uf!"

The distraction allowed Miho and Maho to knock him down, throwing him into the car floor. Nina dusted her hands, her face now much calmer.

"Quick" both girls commanded. "Check the container for any more bandits!"

* * *

 **Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **7:30 PM; July 8, 20XX**

"Man!" Katyusha panted. "That was serious!"

Everybody managed to settle down, after the shocking twist of events. Nakajima and her Leopon Team chose to stay at the locomotive, in order to ensure that it kept working. All other girls then looked after their own tanks; the Kuromorimine team took charge in looking after the Leopon Team's Porsche Tiger tank, since it was somewhat similar to their own tanks (it was a German product, so the German-themed Kuromorimine was somewhat familiar with it). Behind the now TRULY empty cargo container, the tanks of Anglerfish, Turtle, and Kuromorimine teams sat in one flat car. The second one behind it had the tanks of Rabbit, Duck, and Hippo teams. The third one held the tanks of Leopon, Anteater, and Mallard teams.

Behind these tanks, all tanks except those of Kuromorimine sat. The fourth car held the tanks of St. Gloriana, Saunders, and Anzio schools. The last one kept up the tanks of Pravda, Chi-Ha-Tan, and Jatkosota. All tanks were hastily strapped, so the girls re-checked the restraints to ensure that the tanks were secured. They also fixed their tanks as well as possible, polishing and repainting parts of the tanks.

Once that was done, and the girls found themselves moving along safe and at a high enough speed, everybody sighed in relief.

"That was crazy!" Kay cried out. "What could happen next?"

"Anything can happen," said Miho, watching the surroundings.

"Right-right," chimed in Kay, as she and a few girls restrained the bandits.

"What should we do with them?" asked Helena.

"Knock them out," said Erika. "Then, we dump them elsewhere."

"Better than killing them," grunted Naomi. "I hate to see men do _things_ with girls..."

The train drove out of the main heartlands of Los Angeles, and now they were moving into the suburban and less crowded areas surrounding the city. Smoke and blares continued to plague the once-prosperous city, as multiple aircraft swarmed the areas.

Miho sighed.

"I hope they're alright," she finally said. "Those people on the streets...So many things happened today..."

She felt a pat on her right shoulder, and turned around.

Maho smiled at her.

"We'll be alright," she replied. "Let's get through this."

Smiling, Miho suddenly felt tired. She vaguely noticed a strange wave of light magenta color pass by her, but it looked more like a dove, this time.

"S-sorry," she replied, collapsing into her sister's arms.

"You need sleep," Maho comforted her, carrying her. Miho walked alongside her.

"Already?" asked Katyusha. "It's a little too early for sleep, you know!"

"Wanna sleep?" asked Nonna, a small smirk on her face. Katyusha just pouted.

"It's getting a little dark anyway," Maho said. "And you worked hard today, too."

"R-right..." Miho said weakly, as her vision started to blur.

"Calm down," her sister said softly, as she helped her younger sister to move.

Miho found herself laid down on a rather soft sleeping bag, and she barely noticed her own sister zip it. All of the leaders and their comrades surrounded her.

Maho put something into her arms. Miho gasped.

"Sweet dreams," Maho whispered, as Miho cuddled her prized possession:

A Boko bear doll.

"Does she still like that?" grunted Katyusha. "A teddy bear doll bandaged all over? A strange type of doll."

"But you are cute too," remarked Nonna, causing her to go ballistic.

Miho giggled, and everybody turned to look at her.

"Sweet dreams," she yawned.

"Sweet dreams!" they all called out to her, and she finally closed her eyes for the night.

* * *

 **Alright, the next chapter will be a buildup to something bigger! It is sort of a "calm before the storm," I guess?**

 **PM, review, spread the word etc. Panzer vor! Let's survive this!**


	6. Chapter 6: Triple Vision

**After the crazy things in the previous chapter, this should be a breather (sort of).**

 **I change my mind; this will have three important scenes. What are they? Check them out!**

 **Note: Due to work, I will come back and revise and edit this for quality. Please PM, review, like, follow, etc. The more I get, the more I appreciate!**

 **[Update: This story is undergoing some revisions! Let me know any strange details etc.!]**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 6: Triple Vision**

 **Project Aqaba Control Center**

 **Hidden Location**

 **San Diego, California, USA**

 **3:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"Project Aqaba has gone rogue."

"Hmm..."

"Sir?"

"And the President?"

"The US military have successfully flown him out of California."

"Well?"

"With some effort; he insisted on staying behind to help."

"What a knucklehead he is. He loves to help everyone."

"And the military rescued the JSF and their associates."

"I see."

"Except Maho."

"..."

"And there is one thing."

"Yes?"

"Our Alpha squad..."

"They failed, huh?"

"Yes."

"Those girls are harder than we imagine."

"Why exactly do we target them for?"

"Apparently, they attacked the wrong people."

"No-no, they mistook the leaders. Who did we need?"

"Sigh...Do I need to tell you everything?"

"They mistook the wrong targets, and fired."

"Those idiots...Alright, this here is a tracker for the Touched."

"The Touched?"

"One of them is Touched by the Project Aqaba, or the Light Magenta Orb."

"And we need her?"

"Track her down, or others like her, in order to find the Orb."

"Yes, sir."

"And there is one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Get them and their Hands of God."

"Hand...Hands of God?"

"Go."

"Yes...sir."

* * *

 _"Where am I?" she said to herself, blinking._

 _Miho found herself standing in a desert, but one different from anything she had seen._

 _She stood in front of a desert beach. She looked around. Behind her was a narrow desert road, surrounded by two giant cliffs. She realized that the desert was shaped like a delta, with the river of sand snaking between the two cliffs; at the coasts, a vast sea surrounded it. In the corner of her eyes, she noticed a single stone pillar._

 _Miho then checked herself. She realized that she could move around freely, as if she was in real life. Yet she knew that she was in a dream._

 _"This is so strange," she said to herself again._

 _Suddenly, something passed by her, as if she was a ghost._

 _"Wow!" she realized with a start. "So-sorry! I mean...wait."_

 _She decided to call out at the man who passed by her, but she realized that she was both invisible and intangible. The man walked up to the pillar, read it, then radioed._

 _"Sir," said the man. He was in full black suit, which was out-of-place in the desert area._

 _"10-4," said the voice in the walkie-talkie. "What's your status?"_

 _"I am at the Gulf of Aqaba," he answered. "I've located the chest."_

 _"Good," said the voice. "Bring the helicopter and divers in. Do it fast, before the Arabian and Egyptian military forces start to get suspicious."_

 _"Copy that," said the black-suited man. "Agent Crossing, out."_

Click.

 _As the man checked the pillar, Miho suddenly felt compelled to get into the sea in front of her._

 _At first, she resisted on instinct, then remembered that she was sort of a "ghost." She yielded to the mysterious feel, and plunged into the sea._

 _She then swam through small reefs, made up of rocks and corals, some in strange shapes, as if some ancient wagons fell down and got covered up by the elements. In one of these wagon-like outcrops, she noticed a chest._

 _Suddenly, something pulled her out, and she found herself in a tomb, dimly lit by three torches._

 _"Incredible!" said a pale-skinned archaeologist, his messy, gray beard sprinkled with sweat. "We've found it! The answer to stopping death once and for all!"_

 _"What is it?" a tall, muscular man asked. Miho noticed that the man was dressed like the Agent Crossing. This man, however, was dark-skinned, with an orange turban around his head. His thick, black beard had crumbs of bread and rice on it._

 _"Agent Singh," the archaeologist said. "Tell your secret organization that we've found a way to reverse death! This tomb is actually a treasure map, pointing us to a strange artifact from long ago."_

 _"Is this a myth?" asked Singh, grunting loudly._

 _"No!" he declared. "This is what the people in the Middle East and even Africa fought over in the distant past! According to these writings, written in Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Turkish, and even some strange African languages, the peoples here seemed to have fought over some strange objects in this area. One of them, however, is real! Some Hebrew group threw this object into the Gulf of Aqaba, and deliberately told others that it was in the Red Sea!"_

 _"So," Singh grunted. "They wanted to keep it away from everyone?"_

 _"Yes!" he replied. "That way, no one will-uf! Wha-wha?"_

 _The giant man gripped the poor archaeologist's neck, and tightened it. He gasped under the increasing pressure._

 _"Thank you," said Singh. "But you know that your knowledge of this is classified. And yes, the US government officially does not believe in this 'magic' sort of stuff. Fortunately, we the Project Aqaba Management Center do. We've been trying to prove that resurrection is scientifically possible, but so far we have zero results. This is our chance to shine. However, in order to prevent competition or even scandal..."_

 _Miho heard a crushing sound, and winced, a single tear coming down her left cheek. The black-suited man dropped the archaeologist, and radioed._

 _"10-4," he answered. "Target is down. I have the evidence."_

 _He then left out, with Miho breathing heavily._

 _"Y-you," a hoarse voice called out._

 _Miho turned around, shocked. She thought she was invisible._

 _"You..." the archaeologist coughed. "I know you won't believe it, but I am Watcher Convent, a member of the Watchers. We keep dangerous artifacts like the Orb from falling into wrong hands. But I guess we failed. We can see people like you; you've been Touched."_

 _"T-Touched?" she asked, sweating profusely._

 _"Here," he said, throwing it. She caught it, and noticed that it looked like a strange amulet._

 _"It-agh-it's the symbol that I-agh! A symbol that hopefully you will-agh understand. It's my mark of recognition."_

 _He coughed as he spoke. Miho looked at it._

 _The necklace was made of what looked like plant fibers, but a little thorny. Dangling from it was a symbol that looked like a simplified fish with a star as its eye._

 _"Hold it well," he coughed. "I know you will save the Orb. This is the end for me. Defeat the Demons on our behalf."_

 _"What do you-" she began, but was suddenly thrown into another scene._

 _"Farewell," the man called, closing his eyes._

 _She found herself, now standing in a black tunnel, dimly lit by what looked like stars. She decided to move forward. She saw a room, and ran into it. Inside was what looked like a theater room, but circling around like the amphitheater. In the middle was an orb, lighting up the whole area with its eerie glow of light magenta color._

 _"Oh!" she realized. "I saw that from the previous dream!"_

 _Suddenly, the mysterious orb started to emit rays of strange energy. Miho ran to a nearby stump of a former pillar, avoiding the balls of energy as they blazed around the air._

 _"What to do?" she wondered to herself, as the orb started to intensify and enlarge._

 _"Can I have it?" a strange girl suddenly appeared and asked._

 _"What?" Miho asked, startled. She looked down, and realized that she was holding a Boko doll._

 _"If you do, you can defeat the orb," the mysterious girl replied._

 _Miho glanced at the orb, then smiled and gave the strangely colored girl her doll. She did not know how she was able to give it away so easily. Suddenly, the orb went ballistic, firing all kinds of energy all around. Miho shielded the girl, who cried._

 _Suddenly, Miho found herself in a field that looked familiar, and the girl gone. She gasped, as all of her friends and allies seemed entangled in dark, black vines. Their eyes looked strange, as if tortured to the point of despair; she saw what looked like strange rings that were circling inside the irises like snakes._

 _She suddenly found herself running towards the center of the field on instinct, and a dark-clad man appeared in the middle of the blackened field, the same orb floating on top of him. He lifted his hooded head, and somehow consumed the mysterious orb in his mouth. He then stared at her, eyes shining a sickly purple glow._

 _She dashed at the man, not knowing what she could do. She knew that the man had to be stopped, and had to be defeated for good._

 _"Do you need help?" a voice boomed._

 _"Yes!" she blurted out._

 _"Here," it said._

 _She saw something drop, but without thinking grabbed it and turned it on. It radiated out lights of red, blue, and white colors._

Brum-brum-brum-brum-brrrr!

* * *

 **Somewhere between Los Angeles and Los Santos of California, USA**

 **Riding on the tank train**

 **5:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Huh?" she woke up with a start. Something covered her face, and she removed it.

It was an American flag, with its stripes of red and white, marked by a blue square with white stars in one of the corners. She carefully folded it and placed it aside.

"Wow..." she said. "What a dream. The longest I've ever had."

Stretching, she looked around. Everybody in the cargo container was asleep, with a few snoring.

"I remember mom saying about 'never, ever snore' or something," Miho remembered. "I thought only boys do not, but I guess I was wrong."

She got up, and remembered something.

"Oh yeah!" she said, reaching down to pick up the Boko doll.

"So good to have one," she remarked, rubbing it. "I have many of these back home..."

Suddenly, she felt something rubbing on her neck.

"Hmm?" she realized. "I normally don't wear a necklace."

She gasped, and looked at it. The necklace's string was composed of what looked like pearls, instead of the thorny string that she saw in her dream. However, the fish-like symbol dangling from it was unmistakable; it was the same as in her dream.

"How is this possible?" she wondered out loud, then cupped her mouth, as a few girls stirred.

Sighing in relief, she observed it more carefully. The two golden curved lines fused together to make the shape of a fish. However, she noticed that the golden lines also had lines of magenta through them. In the middle, the fish was white, with the blue star as its eye and red stripes as its gills.

"Strange..." she realized. "This IS the same necklace as in my dream, but better-looking. What is going on here..."

She got up, took off the necklace, and put it safely into her patch pocket, located on the left side of her torso. She felt it somehow warm, close to her heart.

Miho then tiptoed through the sleeping bodies of her friends, and reached for the door. Noticing that it was already partially open, she carefully opened.

 _Creeaaakkkk..._

"Hmm?"

Miho stopped cold, as she looked at who was about to wake. She looked at Saori.

"Nope, she's asleep."

She looked at Hana.

"She's sound asleep."

She looked at Yukari.

"Man, that's one big gun for the zombies," said Yukari in her sleep. "Brainssss, be gone..."

Miho sighed in relief, but felt awkward at Yukari's outburst. She sounded more like a zombie than the zombies on the streets.

"Mi-Miho?"

She looked at the one person she did NOT expect to wake up, especially early in the morning.

"Mako?" she asked, visibly surprised that a girl who _hates_ to wake up in the morning would be the first to wake up.

"Why are you up so early?" asked Mako, yawning. "And the door creaks loudly, you know?"

"That's actually my question," she gasped. "Why are you even up?"

"Guess the zombie apocalypse," Mako answered, getting up but still on the floor. "Made me so scared, I slept through the night."

"And woke up earlier than usual," Miho noted. "But I slept before you did."

"I slept not soon after," Mako said. "Man, I wish I could go home..."

Miho nodded in silent affirmation. Both were silent for a while, the wind from the outside whistling and howling.

"Is everyone alright?" Miho finally asked.

"Everyone's tired," she replied. "No, 'tired' is an understatement. Even the Leopon Team, in charge of the engine, seemed to have dozed off, last time I-"

Without hesitation, Miho slipped out of the door.

"...saw them," Mako finished. "Well, she already knows. More sleep for me, then."

She sat down again to sleep, and quickly dozed. Unknown to her and others, a strange ribbon of light floated around the container, then squeezed through the gap in the door...

* * *

Miho went out of the cargo container, and breathed the fresh morning air. Finally, after all the chaos, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She deliberately kept her eyes closed, in order to give herself some time to enjoy the serenity around her. She heard breezes pass by her, whistling into the trees and the earth around her. She heard waters flowing down rivers and crashing into waterfalls. Then, she felt the glorious blaze of the sunlight upon her face.

After what felt like an hour, she hesitantly opened her eyes, and saw the chaos once again.

She stared in silent contemplation, as the Los Angeles in the distance had smokes blowing out of it. She saw what seemed like hundreds of helicopters zooming all around, like moths attracted to a lamppost. A formation of airplanes flew over the skyline.

Nearby, far away from the forested railroad that snaked through some hills and low mountains, Miho glimpsed more smokes from the suburban areas below. She could imagine screams and wails, as the humans tried to either flee from or fight against the zombies.

She also remembered those strange zombies. The Blazer, the Freezer, the Shocker, the orc-like monster, and the long-limbed leaping thing...It was all too much to understand.

"I read about zombies," she mused. "But none of them even _remotely_ mention those types, except in games."

Miho sighed, trying to take her thoughts away from the revelation of it all. She decided to check the tanks. Instead of going to them, however, she decided to check them from the top of her tank. She climbed up the cargo container, and surveyed the tanks. In front of her, the first flat car held her team's tank, the Panzer IV Ausf. H. It sustained very superficial damage, although Miho was certain that it would soon need some repairs. The Hetzer looked very fine, except for scratches. The Tiger I sat behind the first two, making that three on top of one flat car. In fact, all of the tanks on the first, second, and third freight cars sustained some scratches and bruises, both from the hordes of humans pushing into them, and the earthquake that occurred earlier. All Oarai tanks and the Kuromorimine tank were all fine, fully functional.

The last two freight cars held the rest of the school tanks, all tanks affiliated with schools other than Oarai or Kuromorimine. Like the rest, they all sustained superficial damage, but that was a small price to pay.

However, Miho noticed that somebody apparently polished and painted the KV-2 very thoroughly; some patches of paint imprinted as hands on the tank clearly revealed that Katyusha had her favorite tank re-painted to look good. Miho also noticed the whole Jatkosota team by their BT-42, with Mika playing her kantele peacefully.

* * *

Mika and her two teammates all rested on their BT-42. While Mika was playing her instrument on the tank's back, Mikko lied down on the right side, watching the tranquil sky. Aki was on top of the turret, but her back turned to the cargo. Hence, all of them had serene chats, oblivious to the fact that Miho was watching them from afar.

"It sure is peaceful," Aki remarked.

"Peace is but an illusion," said Mika. "But it can be real as real."

"At least we have some time to breathe," groaned Mikko. "And why did we leave the container?"

"Miho seemed to have a dream," said Mika. "Out of respect, I decided to come out, afraid that I might become too curious."

"That is the most normal talk I've ever heard from you," remarked Aki.

"Guess so," replied Mika, playing. "But the wind is ever whirling."

Mika continued to play, humming into her little world. Seeing this, Mikko and Aki decided to privately whisper.

"Miho definitely was having a dream," Aki said. "That's why we left, in order to give her some space."

"Guess just the three of us were conscious of Miho's dreaming," Mikko replied. "I wonder why?"

"Mika moved in her sleep," said Aki. "And accidentally poked me. So, she woke up, realized what happened, and decided to wake you up, just to be fair."

Mikko pouted.

"No fair..." she moaned.

"Hey," said Aki. "Orders are orders. And Mika has her sense of humor. But I guess since that 'incident,' Mika seemed more cautious about herself; even her sense of humor seemed a little... _tame_."

"Hey," said Mikko. "Mika is playing her kantele. It sure is peaceful enough, right now."

* * *

Miho sighed, moving her arms to hold her Boko more tightly. She realized that she was _actually_ jealous of Mika; despite her eccentricity, Mika was tranquil, _very_ tranquil. Mika's own teammates also appeared peaceful, chatting casually.

Although she kept a demeanor of calmness to help her friends, Miho now had the time to express her deepest and darkest of emotions.

She sighed, and let it out.

"I...want to help all of my friends," she said in a whisper, looking up at the sky. "But...am I strong enough to protect them? Is my resolve strong enough for them?"

She kept staring up at the sky, bright blue against the backdrop of the chaos below. The sun was shining as bright as usual, while the ground below was ablaze, both with flames and the chaos from humans and zombies alike.

Humans kill zombies.

Zombies kill humans.

Humans kill humans.

"I..." she began, lowering her eyes to watch the view below. "I want to...help them, but...I don't...I do-don't know what to do...I-I...I!"

She knelt down, holding the Boko firmly in her arms. She watched the scene below.

Humans kill zombies.

Zombies kill humans.

Humans kill humans.

"I-I," she tried to say, but felt as if her very soul was beginning to crack. "I-I...I want to help! I wanna HELP! I want to-to help them! To end their suffering! But I can't-I can't...I wish I could!"

She wept.

Miho felt her tears cascade down her cheeks, and dripping onto the floor below. She knelt down, sniffing still.

"If only I was strong enough, if only...I had the strength the rest have, the resolve my sister has...but-but I'm weak!"

Tears rolled on her cheeks as she still gazed in the distance. Some drops fell on her doll, and Miho hastily wiped them away from Boko.

"Boko," she said. "Don't cry."

She raised the stuffed bear above her eye level, smiling sadly at it.

"Just," she continued, bringing the Boko down to huge it tightly. "I wish someone could help us. Save us from this horror, make it all a bad dream."

She tightened her grasp on the doll, as the winds blew harder and harder. Apparently, the train was passing by an area with strong winds; they were so strong, even the girls who were awake (such as Mika) did not hear her pleas.

Miho felt alone, very alone, as she cried softly on her knees.

"Anyone!" she whispered, then cried. "Please, help us!"

She suddenly felt silence filling the air, the birds chirping in the background, the rivers trickling down, the air blowing in the still sky. The train roared, passing into an area where no strong winds blew.

"I have not seen any Japanese shrine here to visit and pray," she said to herself still. "I wish I could. Then, maybe then someone could help us. If God or gods truly exist, please help us."

She wiped away her tears, as she watched the morning sun rise higher and higher.

"Anyone, please help us!" she replied, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Whatever the cost I must pay, please help my friends and anyone in need," she whispered.

"Raise it," a voice suddenly whispered.

Miho blinked, then looked around.

"Who's there?" she asked, clutching her doll tightly.

"Raise the fish," the same voice echoed, as if inside of her head. "Your necklace."

"Wha..." she stopped, confused. She realized that she was NOT in a dream. However, the "fish" part threw her off-guard.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked. "Please, help me to know, whoever you are."

"Raise the necklace," it boomed, this time as if in her heart. "That the Watcher gave you."

"The necklace!" she remembered, and took it out from the patch pocket on her jacket, nearby the heart.

She raised the necklace, eyeing the fish-like emblem. It appeared to glow white, red, and blue. She raised it, higher and higher.

"Are you alone?" the same voice asked, this time as if speaking from the emblem.

"Umm..." she began. "Who-who are you? But yes."

"I will not say it now," the voice echoed. "But do you need help?"

"Yes," she replied. "I feel as if I am alone, and nobody seems to understand my dream or something. And now, this."

She revealed the emblem, careful to ensure that its eyes saw everything down below.

Miho felt tears coming down from her shoulders.

"I honestly feel alone," she said. "Unable to help others, but still willing to help. I feel weak too."

"Your wish is granted," the voice echoed from the emblem, which stopped glowing.

"H-huh?" she began. "What do you-"

She gasped, as the same rays of light magenta floated by her, this time in waves after waves. They suddenly appeared out of the forests, and rapidly approached the train.

She readied herself; she expected them to give her a dream or something.

"I don't want one now," she said. "But if I have to, I will."

The rays passed by her, but did nothing to her. She blinked.

"OK," she said, sighing in relief. "At least they...oh."

She watched, as the rays floated around, passing closely by her own friends and allies inside of the cargo container. She also saw some of them float into the tanks; she guessed that some slept inside of the tanks. Three of the rays passed by the Jatkosota girls; Mika stopped playing her kantele, and apparently collapsed into a deep slumber. Mikko and Aki both stopped talking, and they lied down to sleep.

She stood still. Birds continued to chirp, louder and louder. The rivers continued to cascade down, faster and faster. The winds continued to blow, harder and harder. The sun rose higher and higher, its rays getting stronger and stronger.

Miho smiled, tears falling down.

"I wonder what they will dream," she wondered, as she climbed on top of the cargo to check the locomotive. "Sweet dreams, my friends."

* * *

 **Railroad somewhere in a forested area**

 **Between Los Angeles and Los Santos, California, USA**

 **6:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"They are still asleep," Miho said to herself.

Giggling nervously, she smiled at everyone present. Most whistled peacefully, while some snored, louder than others.

Miho looked around, again and again; she lost count of how many times she checked around.

"Guess I am nervous," she said to herself. "However...thank you, whoever you are."

She looked up at the sky. She then gave a small bow with hands together in prayer.

"OK," she said to herself, fixing her uniform. "Now, what to do?"

The Oarai girls were everywhere; all four Leopon girls slept soundly in the locomotive. Miho climbed out and went back to the cargo container. Almost everybody else slept in it, some more comfortably than others. Due to the lack of blankets or pillows, the girls ended up using each other as the improvised beds. Miho blinked, realizing that the girls all slept based on their teams, sleeping around the room in a clockwise format.

The Oarai girls slept at the very front of the car, so that they made up the "12:00" part of the cargo. They just randomly slept together, as if too tired to even sleep together in teams. Going clockwise, the Kuromorimine girls slept right next to the Oarai girls, then St. Gloriana, Saunders, Anzio, Pravda, and then Chi-Ha-Tan.

The Kuromorimine girls all slept very methodically, as if they were sleeping in a military barracks. Maho, however, was sleeping more casually, right next to Miho's own bed.

Miho smiled.

"Thanks, onee-chan," she said.

The St. Gloriana girls slept as if in an elegant bed, despite the lack of furniture. Miho wondered how they were able to do that. She also noticed an empty tea set in front of the sleeping girls.

The Saunders girls all slept very casually, with Kay flinging around and around. Naomi was peacefully asleep, while Alisa kept groaning about "getting hit by baseballs of love"; Miho giggled, as Kay kept slamming her arms into Alisa's face.

The last girls all slept rather casually, but Miho noticed one detail:

Katyusha, despite being a commander of her team, slept like a baby, cuddling on the lap of Nonna. By the look on her face, Miho could tell that Nonna was enjoying it.

"Guess she's stressed out," Miho said. "And Mika's team is out there."

"Oh yeah!" she remembered. "Let's check each tank!"

She realized this, when she noticed that a few girls were missing from the cargo container.

"Better go check them," she said, and went out.

Miho checked her own team tank. No one inside.

She checked the Hetzer. Anzu was casually reclining in a seat, sleepily munching on her piece of sweet potato.

She checked the Tiger I. Mauko was snoring loudly in it.

"Guess without anyone to check her," she said. "Mauko could just sleep in peace. I remember that back in Kuromorimine, sleeping inside a tank was against the rules."

As she jumped down, Miho noticed the three bandits they restrained, in front of the Tiger I. All three were sleeping, snoring incredibly loudly and raucously.

Miho raised an eyebrow, and quietly backed away.

"Do all men snore that loudly?" she pondered. She jumped over the freight coupler, and checked the other tanks.

Miho checked the M3 Lee. Azusa was inside, sleeping soundly.

She checked the I-Go tank. Shinobu reclined in the driver's seat.

She checked the StuG, which was technically a tank destroyer, and not a true tank. Oryou slept in it, repeating saying "zeyo."

She jumped over the rails, and yawned.

"Oh," she said. "Guess being a leader is not easy...and tiring."

She checked the Tiger (P). No one was inside, since all of the Leopon girls were at the locomotive.

She checked the Chi-Nu tank. Momoga slept, covering both of her eyes with two peach eyepatches.

"When did she have two of them?" Miho wondered.

She checked the last Oarai tank: the Char B1 bis. Gomoyo was snoring loudly.

Miho breathed, then jumped over another coupler to face the other school tanks.

She hesitated to check the other tanks, but realized that they were all helping each other out, so decided to check them.

She checked the Churchill, climbing over its distinct, heavy armor. Rosehip was still asleep, but trying to practice her tea skills. Unfortunately, she kept spilling her teacup; fortunately, it was empty. Seeing Rosehip try to act all elegant, while asleep, made Miho giggle.

"She reminds me of myself," she said. "I tried to follow in my sister's footsteps, then ended up finding my own path."

She checked the Firefly. Helena was calmly asleep, covering her face with her helmet.

She checked the P40 Italian tank. Salame was sleep-talking, saying random things like "Get this done" and "Survive, for today we live."

She jumped over, and checked the KV-2, getting up over its giant turret. Nina was asleep.

"Good," Miho said, as she slowly climbed down.

Suddenly, she heard a voice, and froze.

"Katyusha was really worried about you," Nina said in her sleep. "Katyusha wished you alright; she told me not to say it, but she wished to say thank you for helping us all out."

Miho giggled, and whispered a "thank you" to Nina.

Nina smiled, as if she heard it, and went back to sleep.

She checked the Chi-Ha tank, and found Haru Tamada sleeping...right behind the tank, on the hard, steel floor of the train car.

"Why is she sleeping there?" she wondered, but just moved on.

She checked the BT-42, and the rest of the girls. Mika, Aki, and Mikko all slept, knocked out cold by the rays of light magenta light.

"Guess I have no choice," she said.

Miho quietly moved all the way to her tank, got into it, and managed to detach one of the machine guns, a 7.92 mm MG 34. She checked it, and got as much ammo as she could.

"Good thing I know how to take this out," she mused, clicking and checking it to make sure that it worked. "OK, waiting time."

* * *

 **Railroad somewhere in a forested area**

 **Between Los Angeles and Los Santos, California, USA**

 **6:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Gaa-gaa-maa-mmarningggg."

Miho heard the voices from beneath the cargo container. She readied her machine gun, and remembered that no zombie was onboard.

"Man," she said, panting. "That sounded like a zombie!"

Miho climbed down, and opened the door. The streams of light from the outside sun blazed into the interior, causing many girls to wake up.

"Good morning," Miho said with a smile. "Hope you all had a good dream."

Everybody in it yawned and stretched.

"Gawdd marning!" Saori groaned, stretching. "WWWhhhaaa a dreaaaammmm..."

"You...sund...lie...zumbi," said Mako with her usual deadpan expression.

"Zumbi? Zombie?!" Saori roared, rising up suddenly.

Everybody literally woke up; Miho covered her mouth to stifle both her confusion and her giggle, as some of the girls went wild.

"Zombies!"

"Ouch!"

"That hurt!"

"Who bit me?!"

"Who hit me?!"

"Noooo!"

"Silence!"

Everybody quieted down. Maho stood, and yawned, trying to maintain her cool demeanor. She yawned again, causing a good number of girls, including Miho, to yawn in response.

"Man..." Maho said. "There are no zombies here."

The girls who panicked calmed down greatly. Mako looked around, and decided to try to go back to sleep. She clearly felt a little guilty at causing the uproar.

"Mako..." Saori growled, picking her up. "Don't you fool me."

"You were fooled," Yukari said bluntly. Saori pouted.

"Yeah," she sighed in agreement.

"Good morning," said Miho. Everybody turned around to look at her.

"Good morning!" they all replied.

Maho approached her sister, patting on on the right shoulder.

"Good morning," she said. "Sleeping beauty."

Miho blushed, as giggles erupted from behind.

"Well," Miho said. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Maho said.

Awkward silence followed, then Miho decided to say something.

"Well," she began. "What should we do next?"

 _Grrrrrr..._

"Yeah," Maho admitted, blushing as she held her stomach.

"Commander!" Erika groaned. "I-"

 _Grrrrrr..._

"Argh," she said in defeat.

 _Grrrrrr..._

Miho held her stomach again, and others did the same.

"Have you heard the saying," began Darjeeling. "An army marches on-"

 _Grrrrrr..._

"Ah..." she realized in defeat. "My stomach."

The other commanders looked at each other, not wanting to say _it_.

"Let's eat!" Kay roared, and everybody joined in.

"Wait!" Miho said. "Do we have food?"

Awkward silence followed again. Nobody wanted to admit the obvious.

"Let's..." said Miho again, since nobody answered. "Let's just wake the others, and decide what to do next."

Everybody in the car agreed.

* * *

 **Railroad somewhere in a forested area**

 **Between Los Angeles and Los Santos, California, USA**

 **7:00 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"OK," said Miho. "So, we are all ready and gathered."

All of the girls, from those sleeping in the locomotive to the very last tank in the back, all gathered together. The girls who brought their "zombie survival bags" brought them out, and all of the girls had some time to stretch and get ready for the day.

Unfortunately, "getting ready for the day" did not include what they were used to...

"No showers," Orange Pekoe silently whispered.

"No kitchen," groaned Anchovy.

"No Internet," moaned Aya, checking her phone.

Almost everybody sighed.

"OK," said Miho, as Maho clapped her hands to silence the crowd. "We'll start with the obvious. We know what's going on."

Everybody nodded. They did not need to hear the words "zombie apocalypse"; they already knew it.

"But due to the chaos," she continued. "We had no time to bring in our belongings from the nearby hotels."

Groans and moans erupted; that was a BIG bad news, alright.

"Fortunately," Miho continued, holding her big rucksack. "A few of us were a little...too much into the zombie survival stuff, and we brought these."

Miho's bag was pink, with a golden outline of Boko embedded on it.

 _Where did she get that?_ Erika thought to herself, raising an eyebrow. _There is merchandise even for that?_

Yukari proudly held out her own backpack, which looked just like what WWII-era veterans would have used. Yuzu of Turtle Team took out her white bag, while Shinobu of Duck Team dropped down her white-and-red bag. Erwin, Karina, Pazomi, Nekota, and Hoshino (from the rest of the Oarai teams) brought their own bags; Miho noticed that other than color, all of the bags were modern-ish rucksacks, the type used by the modern-day military for outdoor use. Erwin's was red with black stripes; Karina's had a splash of all kinds of anime characters drawn on it; and Pazomi's was black with a few pictures of characters from Middle School of the Dead media.* Nekota's bag was the strangest; it was silver with red and black game consoles all over on it. Hoshino's bag was the sturdiest-looking; it was orange with a red case attached, which held mechanical tools.

Miho cocked her head, shaking her head and giggling nervously at the craziness of her team.

"What about you all?" Miho asked the others not affiliated with Oarai. Kay proudly dropped her bag, which was obese, its white, red, and blue sides bulging out. The other girls stared at it.

"What did you put in there?" asked Alisa, aghast. "Did you..."

"Hehe," Kay blushed. "I put too much food in there."

Everybody almost drooled.

"I got mine!" Rosehip cried, dropping it down _carefully_. "I put teacups in there."

"Tea?!" everybody gasped. Even Miho scratched her, confused.

"It's St. Gloriana," she pouted in response. "We still drink tea."

Assam, Orange Pekoe, and Rukuriri held their heads in a face-palm. Darjeeling giggled in the background, visibly pleased at Rosehip's determination.

"I have mine!" Pepperoni declared, slamming down her Italian-themed bag, only to open it hastily to check its contents.

"Ah, good!" she sighed in relief. "My portable stoves are fine!"

The girls started to drool again, almost. Even Maho quietly wiped her mouth, in order to avoid being seen as hungry.

Klara silently held out her bag, which was clearly based on a Soviet Union rucksack, except larger and more sophisticated, with black plastic rods that strengthened the brownish bag.

"Do you have borscht?" asked Katyusha.

She nodded, and Katyusha made a "yes" expression with her right fist.

Kinuyo professionally held out her own rucksack, which was themed after her school's emblem, mostly green and brown with small stripes of blue. Her comrades cheered.

Finally, Aki put down her bag, which was unusually large; it was bulging, with blue and white stripes, although not as much as Kay's.

"What do you have in there?" asked Yukari. "It looks bigger than mine."

"All kinds of unnecessary," said Aki. "Hunting and gathering tools. Mika's confusing words caused me to put more than I need."

"Wait!" said Aya from the Rabbit Team, raising her right hand. "This means that sometimes, we have to gather from the wild?"

Miho nodded, in full view of everyone. Groans erupted again, as most of them were not really up for that...

"Cool," said Saemonza, fixing her bow. She was the only one who frequently carried it around, hence her habit of closing her left eye, as if aiming.

"Not so fast," said Miho, causing Saemonza to groan a little. "We'll see if we find a place somewhere around here to loot."

"To steal from businesses?!" cried out Karina. A few murmurs rose from the crowd.

"No-no," Miho said, waving her hands and shaking her head. "Unless we have to, I prefer that we all find an abandoned business, and find anything in there to salvage. There are plenty of places to loot, if we're lucky enough."

"How lucky?" asked Katyusha, who now perched on top of Nonna as usual.

"We'll have to pray for any god," said Miho. "If the American God or gods do listen, we'll get something that we need the most."

"Hah!" Katyusha grunted. "We'll be crazy lucky or blessed if we find a gigantic Walmart-like warehouse that holds everything we need!"

The train suddenly passed into a less forested area, and the girls all glimpsed a gigantic warehouse in the distance, with the giant words: WELCOME TO FORTMART WAREHOUSE! BETTER THAN WALMART OR COSTCO!

"..." was the overwhelming response.

"That was," began Katyusha.

"Amazing," said Miho, chuckling. "Thanks for your prayer, Katyusha."

"Miho-wait, Pirozkhi!" she roared. "I am not here for praise, just to survive!"

Everybody giggled, as the girls with the rucksacks sighed in relief. They could save their bags for later.

"Well, girls," said Miho. "We can check our survival bags later. Who wants to go and check out the warehouse?"

"Yup!" said Anzu. "Let's go yay!"

"Yay!" everybody else cheered in their own ways.

"Nakajima!" said Miho. "Can we stop the train to go there?"

"Let's see..." said Nakajima, as she and her Leopon Team moved to the locomotive. After some time, the other girls felt the train slowing down, as the warehouse rapidly came into view.

"Yes!" Nakajima called out, as she climbed up on top of the freight car. "We can!"

"Alright, friends!" Miho said. "Are we all already?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's go loot."

* * *

 **Oh, what will happen next?**

 **And please PM, review, like, follow, or whatever you do to get this story off to a great start!**

 **I give a shout-out to aGuestfromGreece45 for helping with the scene of Miho's plea and crying!**

 ***: Middle School of the Dead is a parody of "High School of the Dead." This story should have at least a few references to other zombie media.**


	7. Chapter 7: In Dreams

**Another "breather." Sometimes, even heroes need some break.**

 **Enjoy this; please PM, review, like, follow etc. I appreciate every support.**

 **Update: Finally, I revised and edited this chapter! Let me know any crazy scenario in the next chapter! And yes, the updating of my story continues!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 7: In Dreams**

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **7:15 AM; July 9, 20XX**

The train slowly started to stop, as it groaned in its tracks. A few girls struggled with the engine, trying to halt it without breaking it. The others waited for the train to stop. Some just casually played around; a few were playing volleyball or even card games while waiting for the train to stop. A few daredevils tried to get down before the train safely stopped, but their leaders stopped them in their tracks.

"I want to get out!"

"Don't! It's too dangerous!"

"Can I just..."

"No!"

Unbeknownst to all of them, an animal noticed the train, and stalked it. The animal thundered through the forests, making audible noises through both its feet and its mouth. Fortunately for it, the train was making loud noises, muffling its sounds.

Suddenly, it stopped cold. On top of the cargo container, a girl with a teddy bear in her arms looked around, apparently sensing something. After tense moments, the train passed by, and the animal noticed a figure similar to the girl beckoning her. She came down, and the animal resumed its chase.

* * *

"Finally!" said Katyusha.

The train screeched to a halt, and they managed to stop at the warehouse, right by the parking lot. Miho and the commanders of each team looked up at the warehouse, with Katyusha on top of Nonna.

They stared at it.

The Fortmart Warehouse looked like a colossal white building complex, with blue stars and red stripes covering the top of the ceiling. Even from a distance, the girls could tell that it was gigantic; in fact, it looked more like a mall than a warehouse.

"Nice," Naomi said whistling. "It sure looks patriotic."

"Never heard of Fortmart," said Katyusha. "Nonna! What is it?"

"I have no idea," Nonna bluntly replied, causing the little girl to pout.

"You don't have to react all the time," said Miho. "You're not the only who's on edge."

"Fine..." she replied with a groan. "You're too nice, Pirozkhi. Speaking of that, what is Fortmart?"

"Fortmart," said Mako, as she checked her smartphone. "It's a new chain of retail business that is posed to outdo even Costco and Walmart. Wait...no signals here."

Everybody sighed, externally and internally.

"Well," said Kay, trying to cheer everyone up. "It's back to square one! Let's go and loot, as Miho said."

"Yay!" everybody agreed.

Some of the girls simply jumped down, while others carefully climbed down. Regardless of how they came down, all of them left the train, glad to be out and away from the chaos of the previous areas. All of the girls then started to walk towards the warehouse.

"Wait!" both Miho and Maho called out.

Everybody turned around.

"Before we go," began Miho. "Well...who's going to look after the train?"

Silence.

"Isn't it safe here?" Anzu finally asked. "I mean, we're in the middle of nowhere."

"And speaking of that," Mako said. "Isn't it odd to find a warehouse in the middle of the mountains?"

"She's right," Nonna said, looking around.

Everybody also looked around. Miho and a few girls noticed that the grounds had visible cracks.

"It's obvious," said Mako, crouching down to inspect. "That the earthquakes somehow moved the warehouse far away from its original location."

"And it just happened to be nearby the train," said Hana.

"How was that even possible?" asked Erika. "This makes no sense at all."

"We're lucky, this time!" Anchovy screamed out, causing everyone else to chime in agreement.

"I don't think it's luck," said Miho, as a ray of magenta light passed by in the distance. She eyed it; Miho suspected that only she could see it. She also vaguely heard a growl.

"Luck or not," said Hana. "Let's go and see what we have to eat..."

 _Grrrrr..._

"How about this?" said Miho, giggling. "First, we establish a perimeter, where we check any routes, then we start looting. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" everybody answered loudly in unison.

"Girls!" Miho screamed out, as the Chi-Ha-Tan girls suddenly just ran. "Make sure you..."

"...get some guns before going out," finished Maho, as she and her whole team wrenched out the MG 34 guns from their Tiger I. Miho's own team, noticing that Miho had a gun, decided to take out the last MG 34 out of their own tank, with Yukari caressing it like a beloved tank.

"Oh yes!" she began. "The 7.92 mm MG 34! One of the most reliable machine guns ever made during its time..."

She trailed off, upon realizing that most of her team, the Kuromorimine girls, and a few others were giving her weird looks.

"...sorry," she replied.

Erika, Ritaiko, and Mauko stared at her. Maho kept her stoic face, but found her oddly amusing, while Koume giggled at her.

"Weird girl," Erika whispered to her other comrades, Mauko and Ritaiko, who agreed with her.

"Girls!" Maho roared, causing even Kinuyo to notice, and call out her own team to come back. "Miho is right to have a gun at hand. This is apocalypse, so we need every weapon we get."

Everybody agreed, but one hand raised up.

"And you?" asked Maho.

"Oono Aya!" said Aya. "Do-do we have to kill people?"

Silence stilled the air, except for a few birds chirping in the woods.

"Hopefully not" was the reply from Maho.

A good number of girls shivered.

"This is apocalypse," said Miho, the barrel of her gun pointed down to the ground, as she held it at ease. "So, we need to get the guns out."

"Everybody, ready?" Maho called out.

"Yes!" all of them roared in affirmation, as they started to climb up their tanks.

* * *

"Another MG 34!" Yukari called out, as the Turtle Team took out the sole machine gun from their own tank.

All teams, except Miho and Maho's (who already took theirs out), started to wrench out the machine guns from their own tanks, or what they could. They also gathered up the ammunition packs they stored, too.

Miho and Yukari held the team's machine guns, while Maho and Erika both held their team's machine guns, which were identical to that of Miho's. Yuzu carried her Turtle Team's machine gun.

The other girls, however, seemed to have a hard time taking theirs own.

"Unfortunately," said Darjeeling, as Rosehip tried to get the Churchill's gun out. "Churchill's machine gun is not designed for portable use."

"It's stuck!" Rosehip groaned.

"You act like the Duck Team," remarked Mako, as she went up to the Churchill. "Always acting before thinking."

"Duck? Am I a duck?" Rosehip asked.

"No-no," Mako groaned, a little annoyed. "Duck is one of our teams."

"Ah!" Rosehip replied, saluting her. "Mako, you must be the expert driver! I heard from a few superiors of mine that you drove the tank that won the tournament. Congratulations!"

"Not that much of a deal," said Mako.

"Well," said Rosehip. "I wonder how my family of 18 fare at home."

"You have 18...family members?"

"Sure! I do, Mako...Mako-san?"

Mako stared at the ground. Although her face did not change, the mood surrounding her gave off an aura that even Rosehip noticed.

"Oh," she realized. "Mako-san, sorry."

"That's OK," Mako managed to say. "I have only one family member left, my own grandmother."

"You have...just one?" Rosehip asked, as she stepped down from the tank. Her tone went from outright enthusiastic to subtly concerned.

Darjeeling overheard the conversation, and quietly watched from behind the Churchill.

"Yeah," Mako sighed. "I actually wish I had more alive to this day."

"I actually wish the opposite," said Rosehip, sitting on the Churchill. "Come, sit here."

Mako nodded, and sat on the Churchill. Miho and her team overheard them, and quietly eavesdropped on them.

"I have 18 members," said Rosehip. "And seven of them are siblings."

"Seven siblings?" asked Mako, her jaws gaping. Saori noticed her face, and was surprised.

"Yeah," Rosehip said. "Sometimes, I wish that I had fewer, so that my parents would notice me more."

"I wish the opposite," said Mako. "I want more family, so that I feel loved more."

"Huh? How is that possible?" asked Rosehip, pouring her tea from a teapot. "Want tea?"

"I feel lonely," Mako admitted, as she silently took the cup and sipped. "Frankly, I wish that I had seven siblings like you."

"Why?" asked Rosehip.

"My parents...from an accident," said Mako.

"Oh," said Rosehip, looking down at her teacup. "Sorry about that."

"Thanks," said Mako, lifting up the cup. "Cheers?"

"Cheers!" said Rosehip, and they clinked their cups and drank.

Miho and Darjeeling both watched, with a few of their own members watching by. They smiled, as the two started to get into a funny, random talk about meeting their own families.

"Mako sure looks happy," said Saori. "I haven't seen her smile that wide in a while."

"Yes," said Miho.

"Rosehip sure looks mature," said Darjeeling. "She has standards."

"Yes," said Orange Pekoe, who just came by. "To be honest, I am surprised at her sudden change in behavior."

"Mako must have gone through something," said Darjeeling, as she walked away to meet Miho. "Right, Miho?"

Miho nodded.

"We got it!" roared a multitude of voices, as the girls managed to wrench out their own guns.

"Be careful with them!" Miho called out, as she jogged towards them. "They're guns, but they can be fragile!"

"Hehe," Rosehip giggled, as she heard Miho and her team check the others. "Guess you'll join her, right?"

"Right," said Mako, handing her the teacup and walking away. "Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome," said Rosehip. "Mako-san."

"Call me Mako," said Mako.

"Oh," said Rosehip, blinking. "Isn't that _inelegant_?"

"There is no elegance or inelegance," said Mako. "Just an honest conversation."

Rosehip smiled.

"Cheers!" she replied.

"Cheers," Mako said, smiling back.

* * *

"We got the guns!"

Miho and Maho both checked the girls and their guns. The Duck Team had two 6.5 mm Type 91 guns, held by Akebi and Shinobu; although the leader Noriko wanted to hold one, the guns were a little too large. The Rabbit Team held out two 7.62 mm M1919A4 machine guns, held by Azusa and Ayumi.

"M1919A4!" cried out Yukari.

"M19191...A4?" asked the Rabbit Team girls.

"Eh..." began Yukari. "Nevermind."

The Mallard Team proudly held out two 7.5 mm Reibel machine guns, fitted with pan magazines. Gomoyo and Pazomi both held it, giving the appearance that they were Sodoko's bodyguards.

"Aren't you spoiled?" teased Mako with her blank face.

"Shu-shut up!" Sodoko groaned. "This is apocalypse, you know!"

The Anteater Team took out the sole 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun, and the three girls were tossing it back and forth like a toy ball.

"Girls!" Miho called out to them, giggling nervously. "It's not a toy, you know?"

The Leopon Team pulled out their two MG 34 guns.

"Looks like the MG 34 is the most popular type of machine guns," Erika remarked. "At least that means that we know what ammunition to get."

"We can't get ours out!" Erwin called.

"Or at least we can't find them!" Caesar joined in.

"Leave it alone!" Miho answered. "Not all StuG tank destroyers have it."

All Hippo girls moaned, as Miho and other commanders surveyed more guns.

"One M1919A4, one M2 Browning, two Breda, two DT, two MG 34, and two Type..." began Miho.

"Type 97 machine guns!" the Chi-Ha-Tan girls screamed, bowing down quickly, making Miho sweat a little at their dramatic response.

"Sorry," said Aki. "Our BT-42 has none."

"None is neither alone," answered Mika, playing on her kantele.

"OK," said Miho, as they gathered to show their machine guns. "Since a few of us do not have guns, we have to share and divide our guns. That way, each team has at least one gun to use."

Most of them nodded in agreement. Some, however, felt uncomfortable.

"I understand," said Maho. "It's not easy that we have to share. But I personally chose to stay with you all, since you all are a part of Senshadou. In my school, we "advance forward," but we do it together. Agreed?"

Everybody nodded, then started to split up the guns and ammo in their tanks.

"Good thing we brought some," remarked Saori. "Else we would be totally defenseless."

"It was an odd request," Miho said. "That the President tell us to bring the ammo, in order to showcase our weapons. We originally brought enough to showcase at a military camp..."

"...now, we're using them to protect ourselves," finished Maho, patting her sister's right shoulder. "Miho, can I-"

"Commander!" Erika screamed. "We need some help here!"

The two sisters looked at Erika. She and her teammates were having a debate over the MG34, whether the one from Kuromorimine is better than the ones from Oarai's own tanks.

"Oh boy," she groaned. "Sorry, Miho. But let's go and help them out."

"Hehe," Miho giggled. "Sure."

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **7:45 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"That took longer than expected!" Alisa roared in disbelief.

Miho and Maho both silently agreed. The girls started to argue over who could use which guns. While everybody agreed that each team should have at least one machine gun, the arguments arose over how to share the guns. There were 22 machine guns, and 15 teams. St. Gloriana's own machine guns were of the Besa kind, but fitted to be used on tanks, not to be detached. However, the ammo used for it could be used for MG 34. The Hippo Team had no machine gun, so had to get it from others.

"We still get to keep both of our guns," Mako grunted. The Anglerfish Team, the team of Miho the de facto leader of the surviving group, kept their MG 34 machine guns, due to the team having five members. All of the girls generally agreed that bigger teams should get at least two guns, and the smallest teams one.

"Us too," Momo grunted, holding the sole MG 34 of her Turtle Team's tank.

"Just one is good!" Noriko said, as Akebi alone wielded the Duck Team's Type 91. Her team decided to give the other Type 91 gun to the Hippo Team, who gladly accepted it.

"Hopefully we can survive," said Azusa, as her Rabbit Team's Ayumi and Aya both held their M1919A4.

The Mallard Team's Sodoko proudly but nervously held her team's sole Reibel gun; they decided to give the other one to the Kuromorimine team, because they gave one of their guns away, and needed one more.

"That's a weird way to share guns," remarked Nekota, wielding her Anteater Team's only Type 97 gun.

"Hey!" Sodoko cried out. "At-at least Kuromorimine was noble enough to share, so why not?"

"And we shared ours!" Nakajima said, as her Leopon Team's Hoshino confidently displayed their MG 34.

After inspecting them and their weapons, Miho looked at the other teams.

St. Gloriana's Rosehip and Orange Pekoe each held one MG 34 gun, while Naomi of Saunders leaned on her M2 Browning, with Alisa panting on the side (the gun was quite heavy). Pravda's Nonna and Nina each held a DT machine gun, while Chi-Ha-Tan's Haru Tamada and Hosomi each wielded a Type 97.

"Why is Anzio the only team with TWO guns, despite having only four girls?!" roared Alisa, forcing Naomi to pat on her right shoulder just to calm her down.

Anchovy and Carpaccio stared at the roaring girl, holding the Anzio's very own Breda 38 machine guns.

"Alisa," Miho said, feeling a drop of sweat or so on her back. "We decided that they could keep both of their guns, remember?"

She only pouted in response. Kuromorimine's own team had Maho and Erika both holding an MG 34 and a Reibel gun respectively, the latter from the Mallard Team.

"Why did you give that team your MG?!" roared Katyusha, piggybacking on Nonna as usual. "They don't deserve a gun!"

"Relax," said Miho. "This is apocalypse, and we're all in this together."

"Still," growled Katyusha. "I am NOT letting them 'borrow' our guns!"

"That's why we had Kuromorimine lend them one of their own," said Koume, feeling awkward at the rising tensions between the Pravda and Jatkosota teams. The latter team's Aki was holding the MG 34 in her arms, careful to keep it strong and well-cleaned. Koume leaned away to ask Mauko.

"Mauko," she whispered. "What happened between those two?"

"One time," Mauko whispered back. "Jatkosota used a loophole in a Senshadou rule, allowing them to 'borrow' a KV-1 from the Pravda's own team. Despite that, the Pravda girls are furious."

"Well," Koume said, feeling sweats on her back. "It's apocalypse, so I honestly think that the Jatkosota's reputation for...stealing is actually good for the apocalypse."

"Just watch your back," Mauko warned her. "Don't let them _steal_ your life."

Koume gulped in response.

"That's a little extreme," she replied.

"Just warning you," Mauko curtly said back.

"Gi-girls," Miho said, trying to calm the tensions. "There is no point in arguing about stealing or whatnot. We're in this together."

"Hmmph!" Katyusha groaned. "At least you're here, Pirozkhi. You led us through, so I trust your judgment. Jatkosota! You are free, but be warned!"

Katyusha silently glared at Mika, who calmly continued to play her kantele.

"Ahem," Maho cleared her throat, and everybody looked at her in response.

"It looks like we got the guns," she said. "OK, let's go."

"Hooray!" everybody yelled, glad to have finished up their gun-sharing business.

"Girls!" both Miho and Maho roared, but to no avail as a horde of hungry humans swarmed past them, ran through the parking lot, and slammed into the metallic doors.

"Ouch!" came the multitude of screams and groans.

Miho, Maho, and a few smarter girls shook their heads in disbelief.

"Guess we're the mavericks here," grunted Erika, as her team and a few others casually walked towards the warehouse.

"GUTS!" the Duck Team girls roared, as they tried to open the metallic frames. They did not budget.

"Can't you guys check the locks first?" asked Erika. "You guys are..."

Erika was about to say "stupid," but Maho glared at her, silencing her.

"The locks are off," Maho said nonchalantly. "We just need to open the door up."

"Who's the strongest here?" cried out Noriko. "Duck Team! Everybody who can, help us!"

The strongest of the girls heeded her call, and together managed to lift up the door. It helped that a few of them cheered them, while the Leopon Team took out their repair tools, and checked the edges for anything that hindered the opening.

"Push!" Noriko continued.

"Push!" Maho called out.

"Panzer...vor!" Miho screamed, and the door finally hit the point, and it mechanically opened the rest of the way.

"Whew!" Nina sighed, dusting her hands. "That felt a little harder than the KV-2's own shells!"

"Wait!" Miho and Maho both called out, as the few girls tried to dash in. "Let's check every entrance and exit here! Then, we all come together and report!"

The others agreed, and split based on their teams. The girls dashed along the walls, and checked every corner and square of the warehouse. Not long after, the girls all came together at the only door that was opened.

"All doors are sealed shut and tight!" all of them declared.

"Well then," said Miho. "Are we ready? We're going to need a lot of stuff, so we'll have to split up and quickly get everything we'll need for now."

"Wait a minute!" Katyusha objected. "What do we really need right now?"

Her question left everyone silent. She pouted on top of Nonna's shoulders, as usual.

"I..." she began. "Well, we will just find what we want as a team."

"Eh?" Katyusha replied. "That simple?"

"Agreed," replied Maho. Her response shocked everyone.

"Eh?" Erika asked. "Wait a minute, that sounds too broad!"

"We will find what we _think_ we need," said Maho. "But by team each. Then, we will decide whether we need something else more. It's obvious what we need: food and supplies. If possible, we'll find ammunition or weapons to use. Ideally, we should..."

Maho tried to think, her face frowning.

"We need some tools to customize into zombie-killing weapons, right?" Miho interjected.

"Really?" asked Katyusha. "And not find ammo for our tanks?"

"Do you really think," said Maho, frowning and glaring at her. "That we'll find WWII-era ammo in an American warehouse like this?"

"Eh..." Katyusha trailed off.

"It does not take much thinking," Maho said. "To realize that most Americans are used to warehouses that sell food and supplies, not necessarily weapons such as ammo for our machine guns. We'll have to search for those elsewhere, if we're lucky."

"Are the roads safe?" asked Azusa, raising her right hand. "Is that why?"

"We saw no road," Maho bluntly replied. "So, we're safe. That is why."

"And you expect us to know about this?" asked Katyusha. Maho glared at her, silencing her.

"This is our first zombie apocalypse," said Maho. "We need some time to relax. A calm mind thinks better than a panicked one. There are no roads, and no zombies or looters around. For now, we're the only ones, and we're far away.

Everybody nodded in agreement.

"Onee-chan..." Miho began, realizing that Maho was concerned with everyone.

"So," Maho said, grinning. "While we have a little peace time, let's celebrate!"

"Celebrate!" chimed in Miho, causing everyone to cheer.

"Eh?" Erika objected, after realizing what was going. "Nishizumi-san! We're in a zombie apocalypse, you know?"

"Sometimes," she replied. "We need a break."

Everybody cried out in agreement again.

Erika fidgeted, then noticed that all of her other teammates, especially Koume, were really content.

"Oh well," Erika shrugged, sighing. "I trust your judgment this time."

"Ready?" Miho and Maho both called out. "Get set...go!"

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **8:15 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"I think that was actually a good idea," said Erika. "At first, I was not sure. But now, without any danger right now, everybody looks happier."

Indeed, she was right. Even her own team appeared genuinely content. Everybody split into teams, doing what they would do as a team. It was pretty easy to see who was looting, and who was leading.

The Anglerfish Team and the Kuromorimine Team both stayed at the only open entrance, taking turns to send two at a time to get what they needed. Right now, Miho sent Saori and Yukari, while Maho sent Koume and Mauko. Already, the two teams gathered more than enough supplies of their own, ranging from canned food to portable batteries and flashlights. They gathered up their supplies in separate batches, based on the teams. Miho and Maho's teams put their supplies at the entrance, acting as a mini-blockade in case of sudden attacks.

"These should last us for a while," Maho noted, analyzing a can of tuna.

Suddenly, Miho started to sing a little bit of _Panzerlied_ , humming some tunes of the song.

"Now that I think about it," said Erika. "We normally sang the song only when we had to. Miho sang the song, regardless of what was going on."

Koume came by, dropping her supply of bratwursts. Overhearing her, she joined Miho, humming along with her as she dusted her hands before walking away. Maho smiled, and hummed along, as they checked their supplies.

"Well..." Erika looked at Ritaiko. She shrugged, and the two joined with the humming.

Hana smiled at the change in the mood, while Mako just dozed off.

Mauko suddenly stomped in, and dropped a small pile of machetes. The clanging sound woke up Mako, who eyed the blades and backed away.

"Americans sure like to act tough," remarked Maho, eyeing one of the machetes. She shivered.

"Honestly," she continued. "I don't know which is scarier: the zombies that bite you, or the Americans who can nuke you."

The other girls giggled nervously.

"Well," Maho noted. "Since we got more than what we need...Erika and Ritaiko!"

"Yes!" both girls saluted her.

"Go and have fun," she replied.

"Eh?" they asked her.

"Go and find what you want," she told them, winking. "That's an order."

"Eh...OK," they replied, and walked nervously away. Maho sighed.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "Miho, I wish that we were a lot more open."

"What do you mean?" Miho asked.

"Well," she began. "It's obvious why you had to leave Kuromorimine..."

Miho smiled nervously, but nodded in agreement.

"Hey," Maho said. "Hana-san and Mako-san, mind if you can go? We want some personal time."

Both girls nodded, and moved away, more like Hana dragging Mako. Miho smiled, as Maho pulled over two chairs.

"Alright," Maho said, as they sat down. "Let's talk."

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **8:15 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Wo-ho!" cried out Rosehip. She zoomed past girls after girls, who initially gathered up supplies based on their teams. Each team pulled at least one cart, filling each with as much as they could. It was sort of obvious who was who, based on their carts...

The St. Gloriana girls calmly marched around, looking for their own supplies. They were also holding their tea set, with a kettle of hot tea on the cart. Orange Pekoe held a teapot, while all the others held their teacups and plates.

"All is fair in love and war," Darjeeling remarked, as she passed by displays after displays of food and merchandise.

"Abandoning one's morals in love and war...You really mean it, right?" asked Orange Pekoe.

"Except for survival," replied Darjeeling, eyeing slabs of salmon. She placed her set on the cart, picked a package of fish up, and inspected it.

"Guess the electricity still works here," remarked Assam, as Darjeeling piled five packages of freshly cut salmon into the cart. "And we have to eat those fast, if you want to."

"I will cook them," said Darjeeling. "I will cook them with love and elegance."

Orange Pekoe and Assam stared at each other, their faces as pale as snow.

Rukuriri peeked at them, and gulped.

"DARJEELING-SAMA!" Rosehip roared, snapping the girls out of their state.

"What is it, now?" Orange Pekoe and Assam both groaned, while Darjeeling piled three large bags of French fries.

"I found them!" she roared again, charging back. "And we got-eww. French fries? Why are they called 'French' in America?"

"That's what they call here," replied Darjeeling. "We prefer to call them 'chips,' not 'fries.' And you are right; they're not actually from France, anyway."

"And why are _you_ so excited about?" asked Orange Pekoe.

"I found tea!" she declared. "And one that we could not get!"

"Our school is rich," said Assam curtly. "And this is America; what could they have?"

Rosehip smiled, and flashed a small box out.

Darjeeling dropped her bag of fries, which crunched on the floor. Orange Pekoe dropped her teapot, which Rosehip saved by diving at it, using her hands to save it. She quickly placed it on the cart, and blew quickly on her slightly burnt hands. Rukuriri and Assam both dropped their teacups and plates, which shattered on the floor.

Rosehip grinned, holding the box out.

"Da...Hong...Pao tea," stammered Darjeeling, reaching slowly at the box.

"Darjeeling-sama, yes!" she saluted her, giving the box. Darjeeling shook, as she tried to carefully look at the box.

"We reserved a supply for this to come," stuttered Assam. "And it hasn't come for three months. And...of all the places...an American warehouse has a...supply of this here?"

"But it could be a faux variety," Pekoe tried to explain away. "I mean, so many American products are cheap and rip-offs of authentic ones."

"This one is not..." Darjeeling replied. "Recently, the Chinese government added a special, semi-invisible print on it, which is added only to this type of tea..."

She pointed at what looked like the picture of a Chinese natural monument, then flashed at it with a special lighting pen. In clear English readings, it read: THIS CERTIFIES THAT IT IS THE DA HONG PAO. ON PAIN OF PUNISHMENT IS THIS PRODUCT BE TRULY CERTIFIED AS DA HONG PAO. ENJOY IT WITH EASE.

"Do you need anything?" Rosehip asked, jumping up and down.

"Just...go and do whatever you want," Darjeeling said curtly.

"Yes, ma'am!" she roared, and dashed away, oblivious to the shocked faces of her superiors.

"Mm?" the Saunders girls passed by the British-themed girls.

"St. Gloriana?" asked Kay. "Darjeeling? Darling? Hey?"

She waved at the commander's face, frozen in shock. Kay looked down at the box.

"Oh," Kay realized. "Da Hong Pao tea. We also ordered a supply, but it hasn't come in three months. How did this American warehouse manage to get a hold of this?"

"Hello?" Alisa asked the girls, waving at them. All four St. Gloriana girls were as still as stone.

The Saunders girls looked at each other, shrugged, and walked away.

"We saw Rosehip," said Naomi, calmly blowing her gum. "Let's go and find her."

"Wonder what she did to them..." Alisa wondered out loud.

* * *

"Here is more tea!" Rosehip continued to burst out, as she rushed back and forth. She climbed up and down on the pallets and steel railings, without using any ladders. She climbed up and down with surprising agility, while trying to keep her teacup balanced on her plate.

"Here it is!" she screamed out, pulling away at the plastic wrapping to take out boxes after boxes of tea. "Darjeeling...Orange Pekoe...Assam...Rukuriri...Where is mine?"

She checked all around the alley. The Saunders girls, however, stared up at her.

"Hey!" Kay called out to her.

"Yes?" Rosehip answered, dropping down and holding her teacup.

"How does she keep that cup steady?" whispered Alisa.

"Beats me," Naomi replied back.

"You're Rosehip, right?" Kay asked.

"Yes!" Rosehip saluted her, almost spilling her cup. "I am Rosehip, proud commander of the Crusader tanks of glorious St. Gloriana Girls High School!"

"You must be a sunny sort," remarked Kay. "Say, how did you even enter St. Gloriana?"

"With determination!" she yelled out, saluting. The cup almost spilled again; Alisa and Helena both eyed it nervously.

"You know," Naomi said calmly. "I am surprised that of all the girls, you managed to enter St. Gloriana. It is a rich school, rather famous for its rigid selection process."

"Or infamously rigid," whispered Alisa to Helena, who shrugged.

"Anyway!" Kay said, clapping her hands. "Alisa, you got my clipboard?"

"Ah, yes!" Alisa declared. "Here it...wait, I forgot our cart!"

Kay put her hands in a facepalm, while Naomi merely rolled her eyes, as Alisa dashed away.

"I will help her," Helena volunteered. "I should have watched it, too, since I was with her and the cart the whole time..."

She jogged to the opposite direction of Alisa, so that they could sweep the area better. Girls after girls walked back and forth, at first in teams, then more individually.

"OK," Kay sighed. "Naomi, why don't you go and help the others?"

"You bet," she replied, and walked out.

"So," Kay said. "Let's just get to the point. No professional or formal introductions needed. Are you interested in joining our club?"

"Eh?" Rosehip asked, blinking. Her cup finally spilled a little amount of tea.

"I am surprised," said Kay. "That you did not spill your tea when you're moving around, but you seemed amazed at my response."

"Well," Rosehip replied, taking out a large number napkins from her pouch, and wiping the floor. "I am...confounded by that request."

Her tone suddenly changed from outright enthusiastic to subtly nervous. Kay noticed that.

"Oops," Kay said. "I am sorry about that."

"No-no!" Rosehip shook her head, as her voice suddenly changed back to her usual self. "It's just that...you remind me of Darjeeling-sama when you said that."

"Eh?" Kay asked. Inside, she was wondering how was _that_ even possible.

"How do I say this?" Rosehip wondered aloud. "Kay-sama, I remember hearing rumors of my result. I was confident the whole way through nonetheless, not bothered by the rumors and all. However, when I got my results, I was in!"

Rosehip raised her left hand in salute, the tea still inside the cup.

"However," she said, as she lowered her arm down; her voice also slightly lowered. "I did not realize the full implication of it all, until I heard rumors about Darjeeling. Apparently, a number of people questioned her decision to let me in. I learned that Darjeeling drew the final vote."

Rosehip's demeanor notably dropped. Kay noticed streams of tea pouring down in bits and bits, creating a tiny puddle on the plate.

"Admittedly," she continued. "I was worried about what will happen to Darjeeling-sama. I was worried about her status and all."

"You're not worried about yourself," Kay replied. "But worried about Darjeeling and others above you, right?"

Rosehip nodded very violently; to Kay's amazement, despite her body movements, not a single drop of tea spilled over this time.

"I go wherever Darjeeling leads me!" she declared, lifting up her right arm this time. "And I shall keep going for the sake of St. Gloriana!"

"Well," Kay giggled, handing her an envelope. "You're free to keep that. You can do whatever you want with it. It has three choices inside; it's up to you."

"Thank you, Darjeeling-sama!" Rosehip declared, bowing down violently. Kay giggled, as she saw Rosehip run off.

"Wait!" Kay called.

"Yes?" she came back, with a huge smile on her face. The tea still did not spill.

"Here you go," she said, handing her three boxes of Rosehip tea.

"Ah..." she gasped. "Th-th-THANK YOU SO MUCH, Kayjeeling-sama!"

"You're welcome," Kay replied, as she let Rosehip run off for good this time.

Kay sighed in relief, big smile on her face.

"What was that?" Naomi asked, coming back with a rare look of surprise on her face. "Even I am amazed at what just happened."

"She apparently likes Darjeeling," Kay said, turning around. "In fact, she mixed up my name with Darjeeling. Apparently, I remind her of Darjeeling somehow. Well, we're different, but similar enough in a way."

"What about the letter?" Naomi asked, glancing at her other teammates bringing in their own cart, full of American food and whatnot.

"I gave it," she replied. "An invitation with three choices: to transfer to Saunders, a free 30-day pass to visit Saunders, and a check of six million yen."

"Six million ye..." Naomi blinked. Her bubble gum, which she normally popped, deflated, reflecting her shock.

"Yeah," Kay said, shrugging. "If we manage to survive, that is."

"What if she loses it?" Naomi asked, as the rest of the team arrived.

"I can get more," Kay replied, shrugging. Naomi rolled her eyes, in order to avoid face-palming in front of her other comrades.

"OK!" Alisa roared. "We finally found this cart!"

"Good," said Kay. "Then let's go on a Crusade!"

"Eh?" Alisa and Helena both asked, while Naomi silently understood.

"They say that all is fair in love and war," Kay replied, cheerfully jumping away.

All except Naomi were confused by their commander's sudden cheery manner.

"What happened to her?" asked Alisa.

"She got a great compliment," Naomi answered, and followed Kay.

The two remaining girls looked at each other, and just followed their commander.

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **8:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Man!" Mauko moaned. "After getting all the supplies we need, I am bored!"

Mauko sighed, as she found herself "alone." Girls after girls dashed by her from left and right, as the girls searched items after items, as if they were going on a binge shopping.

"Man," Mauko moaned again. "What's up with this?"

She glared at some of them, as they apparently acted "immature" in her eyes. The Rabbit Team girls squealed over a set of useless dresses, while the Hippo Team girls were wearing all kinds of faux armor for show. The Turtle Team was just cruising around, with Anzu reclining in the cart, eating her dried sweet potato chips.

"Oh yeah," she realized. "They were the ones who wedged their tank into my Maus before."

Mauko got her nickname from the fact that she was the commander of the Maus, the largest tank that was allowed to be fielded in her sport. However, she had no grudge towards them, since she did not see them at that time.

There was one team that got her nerves, and she now saw them.

"You..." she gritted her teeth, stomping towards four girls practicing volleyball together, who were also using the pallets and steel railings around them. Mauko could tell that they were doing something called parkour, which was a type of "sport" that emphasized on passing through obstacles.

"I remember we had a class with that," mumbled Mauko. "And on the first day of the class, all of us failed it spectacularly. Except Miho."

She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Is that why she left us?" she whispered to herself, musing. "I could tell that she was different from the start. She was the only one to even pass the first test of parkour class. I wonder..."

Suddenly, a volleyball flew at her face, hitting her forehead dead on.

"Ouch!" she snapped, grabbing the fallen ball and trying to puncture it with her bare hands in anger.

"Oops!" Akebi cried out, running towards her. "Sorry about that, miss."

"Eh," Mauko said, momentarily forgetting who was facing her. "It's OK, mistakes can hap-"

"ARHRHHHGGGG!" she roared, upon realizing who was facing her. A few veins visibly popped in her forehead.

Akebi stared down at Mauko, blinking curiously. Her other teammates came along, and they recognized who it was in front of them; they sweated a little in response.

Grinding her teeth, Mauko glared at the Duck Team in front of her. She remembered how the girls used their tank to wedge into the top of her tank, preventing it from turning its turret. Her Maus tank had a huge body, large enough for a smaller tank to get on top of it. Unfortunately for her, the Duck Team used that to their advantage, immobilizing her tank long enough for her Maus to finally be caught dead (a single shot from Miho's tank took it down for good).

Silence filled the air between the two factions, as girls in the background screamed and squealed. Mauko continued to glare at the four girls in front of her. The Duck Team, however, just stared down at her. Only Noriko looked up at her, being shorter than Mauko.

"Meeting us here is your doom again," Mauko finally growled. "Light tank."

She shot the volleyball back, which Noriko caught with ease.

"It's a medium tank!" the girls groaned in response.

Awkward seconds passed, before Mauko managed to restrain her emotions and say something more...professional.

"We are in the middle of apocalypse, you know," said Mauko. "You can practice parkour, but I don't know about volleyball, you know."

"This," Noriko proudly displayed the volleyball. "Is how we keep our spirits high, training us mentally. I mean, it's all about having GUTS!"

She raised her right fist, and her teammates raised theirs.

"GUTS!" they all cried.

Mauko blinked.

"Eh..." Mauko trailed off, eyeing the girls. Noriko was shorter and slimmer than her, but Mauko realized that she was the leader of the Team. All other three were way taller, and way more robust, than she was. She eyed Taeko and Akebi a little more closely; she felt a little bit of jealousy, as she realized that they had...ample chests.

"Hmmph!" she finally pouted. "Duck Team, why don't we settle this score once and for all?"

"Eh?" the girls asked.

"We'll finish our 'battle' from the Maus kill last time," said Mauko, cracking her knuckles. "Let's do a physical fistfight. That way, we can train for the real apocalypse, and we can settle personal scores. If you win, I will stop calling your tank 'light.' If I win, I have the right to call your tank 'light.' Deal?"

The girls stared at each other, then stared at Noriko.

"DEAL!" she replied, smiling. Her smile threw Mauko off; she was surprised to see her look so happy.

"That's a great idea!" Noriko declared. Mauko glimpsed Shinobu, the tallest girl with a slim figure, facepalming.

"Akebi!" Noriko said. "Why don't you challenge her?"

"Eh? Me?" Akebi asked. "Oh...OK!"

"GUTS!" the others cheered, as Akebi faced against Mauko.

Mauko stretched and crackled her fists again, trying to get her body ready for a literal fight. She then stared up at her opponent.

Other than Noriko, Akebi Sasaki was actually the shortest member in her team. However, she was only a little shorter than Taeko and Shinobu; apart, Akebi looked quite tall for a Japanese girl. She also had a large bust, and her robust posture made her look quite attractive. Her blond hair completed her appearance, making her look more like someone from Saunders.

Mauko growled, trying to intimidate her opponent. Akebi gulped.

"Let's do this," said Mauko, preparing her arms. "I have martial arts training, specializing in punching and kicking of sort. I know how to take down a girl bigger than myself!"

 _At least, hopefully_ , she thought. She remembered that last time, a girl taller than her almost beat her down.

"Well..." Akebi said nervously. "Let's...have a good fight."

"It's on!" Mauko roared, flexing her arms. "Kämpfe mich!"

"Campy mick?" asked Akebi, puzzled.

Mauko facepalmed.

"It's German for 'Fight me!'" groaned Mauko. "Let's just go!"

She decided for a "Blitzkrieg" punch, in order to quickly dominate her larger opponent. To her shock, Akebi just stood there, eyeing how Mauko's right fist hit her abs directly. Mauko felt the girl's stomach, and realized that despite its smooth appearance, it was shockingly firm like wood.

"Eh..." Mauko pulled back, trying to think of another move.

Akebi blinked, then readied her fists, except that she held her body in a posture that Mauko suddenly found familiar...

"This is NOT a ballet lesson!" Mauko roared, as Akebi gracefully tiptoed and swayed her limbs, dodging Mauko's punches by climbing up the walls and jumping.

"Um," Akebi replied. "I am just warming up."

Mauko rolled her eyes.

"Then," she began. "Let's use our surroundings, and fight!"

"OK," Akebi casually said, and jumped on top of Mauko, who anticipated the pounce and grabbed Akebi's arms.

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **8:35 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Of all the things you can do," said Erika. "You girls just had to fight."

"Huff, puff!" the two girls in the fight panted.

Mauko slightly knelt, still standing on two feet, her hands on her knees. Akebi, however, stood taller, but leaned with one arm on the right steel railing.

"Man!" Mauko managed to say. "That was...was that even a fight?!"

"More-like-a dance!" Akebi panted. "I kept kicking you..."

"...I kept punching you..." Mauko groaned. "But you kept jumping away..."

"I tried to take you down!" Akebi declared. "And you somehow..."

"...dodged," Mauko finished, and the two collapsed on the floor, kneeling still. The Duck Team came to her side, while Erika and Koume both knelt to check on their own teammate.

"Are you OK?" asked Erika.

"Fine," panted Mauko.

"Not hurt," noted Koume. "Same for you, Sasaki-san?"

"Just call me Akebi," Akebi panted. "But Mauko sure was great!"

"Great?" moaned Mauko. "Why...are you...praising me?"

"It was a nice fight," said Akebi, recovering enough breath to speak normally. "I miss feeling like a hero for once."

"Eh?"

"Well," Akebi began. "How can I say this?"

She got up, walked towards Mauko, and extended her left hand at Mauko. Confused, Mauko slowly raised her arm, and Akebi lifted her up.

"I've had a self-image issue," she admitted, smiling. "You had a way of fighting that made me feel...energized."

"I was just fighting," Mauko grunted. "Just to release all of that frustration inside of me."

"Well," Akebi said. "I admit that your frustration somehow made me feel that...Oh, how can I say this? Your fighting improved my self-esteem."

"Eh?" asked Mauko. "Now that you say it, I feel much better, too. But I am confused as to how my anger got transferred to you, and you feel not angry, but more confident."

"It's GUTS!" Noriko explained. "We do not act like a robot; we just move forward!"

The Duck Team girls held their hands in a hand-stack.

"Let's go!" they declared, and ran away to gather more supplies. Akebi waved at her.

"See you later, Mauko-chan!" she cried out.

"Y-yeah," said Mauko, waving back. "Sasa...Akebi-chan..."

"Strange girls," remarked Erika.

"But fun ones," replied Koume, giggling.

"That was actually fun," Mauko admitted. "I wish I could fight them again, but as equals this time."

"Just go and do your business," Erika groaned.

"Yes ma'am!" Mauko saluted, then marched off.

"But that felt good," Mauko mused, once she was out of earshot. "I want to talk to her again. Now, should I still call their tank...Hmm, I haven't thought of what happens if we have a tie, but oh well."

She ran off, jumping a little and spinning around.

"Wait," she realized. "Why am I-Akebi! How dare you teach me ballet!"

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **8:45 AM; July 9, 20XX**

Miho walked away from Maho, after having a long, VERY long talk. It was mostly nothing important, yet Miho felt that it was VERY important.

"Miho," she remembered her last words. "No matter what happens, I will protect you to the best of my abilities. I stayed down, all because they did not go after you. It's one thing if I know that they will try and save all of us, but saving me and my team only? I felt it was fair to stay with you all."

"But why? Can't you return with reinforcements?"

"We live together, we breathe together, we die together."

"We live, breathe, and die together," Miho mumbled the last words, as she strolled by the shelves after shelves of goods and merchandise.

Miho closed her eyes, and visions of everything came to being.

She saw customers after customers happily strolling about their business, pulling their carts after carts, chatting incessantly or complaining while shopping. Kids of all ages and sizes sat on the carts, rode them, or just dashed around the place like one gigantic playground.

Now, Miho opened her eyes, and saw her own teammates...acting like kids and adults.

Miho giggled nervously, as her own teammates went a little crazy with some clothing at a girl's clothing section. Saori yelled like a devout fan over a set of "cute" attire that was supposed to attract boys, while Hana gazed at a beautiful green dress, embedded with images of flowers. Yukari lifted up a giant military uniform, the type worn by Navy SEAL elites, her eyes glittering with awe. Mako, however, just gazed at a sign that said: ALL-PURPOSE CLOTHING. WEAR THIS, AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR ANYTHING FOR LIFE.

"I like this one," Mako said, holding it out.

"That's too plain," Miho giggled at a distance, as Saori dragged Mako away from the attire.

Miho then looked around. The Hippo Team was in their cosplaying phase, wearing all kinds of samurai and ninja outfits. The Rabbit Team tried out a variety of weird headgear, ranging from fancy hats to rabbit ear headbands. The Turtle Team just...lazed around as usual. The Duck Team was practicing parkour, as they jumped throughout the steel walls and railings. The Anteater Team was gazing at a set of batteries and electronics that could allow them to play their games indefinitely. The Mallard Team was frantically running around, yelling about "order" and whatnot.

"Hey," Miho asked Sodoko. "Where is the Leopon Team?"

"They went back to the train," replied Sodoko, as she continued to yell at the Hippo Team and the others. "They're checking it."

Miho nodded, and left her in peace. The St. Gloriana girls mostly strolled around, behaving like ladies at a wedding, except for Rosehip, who dashed back and forth, piling up the cart with supplies. The girls with her mostly focused on tidying up their cart.

The Saunders girls now piled _two_ carts full of food; Miho wondered how they even managed to do that. One cart was full of hamburger patties, steaks, salmon fillets, chicken nuggets, and other food items that Miho guessed were American in origin or so.

Miho then passed by three carts full of cooking merchandise and food. Pasta boxes, pizza bread, jars of tomato sauce, pesto containers, and slices of mozzarella cheese were obviously the type that only Anzio would be interested in.

"Not fit for the apocalypse," Miho giggled nervously.

Suddenly, two carts passed by her. One was full of food and items; the other had mostly a tall chair, tied into the cart with safety belts and tapes. Sitting on top was Katyusha, so that she was above everybody else. Nonna calmly pushed her commander's cart, with Katyusha proudly smiling.

"I am so above you all!" Katyusha roared.

"Not during the apocalypse," Nina whispered to Miho, who giggled nervously, as they all passed by her.

The Kuromorimine girls were mostly by individuals, trying to obey their commander's orders to "act individual" for a while. Apparently, as Miho could tell, most of them were struggling.

Mauko and Ritaiko both were trying to shop around, like normal girls would. However, they resisted the urge to come together, and tried to find what they liked in their personal free times. Erika hid behind walls after walls, looking at Maho.

"Seriously?" Miho asked, coming behind her. "Maho wants you to act normal, for once."

"Ah!" Erika screamed. "Miho-san! Stop that!"

"Just act normal!" Maho roared in the distance. "You have as much free time as you want. Now, just enjoy it!"

Erika groaned, and limped away. Miho wondered who was scarier: the zombie or a girl who did not know how to use her free time.

"Guess we're still as usual," Koume giggled, as she came along. Other than Maho, she was the only Kuromorimine girl who genuinely enjoyed her free time; her cart had some pretzels, bratwursts, steel pipes, and machetes.

"I am surprised that you're still at Kuromorimine," Miho said.

"Well," she admitted. "It's thanks to you that I stayed. I owe you one."

Miho smiled, as a group of girls stampeded throughout the area.

"Those charging fanatics!" Momo roared, pushing the cart in which Anzu was reclining on. "Can they learn some manners?"

"Yeah!" chimed in Sodoko, both girls gritting their teeth at the Chi-Ha-Tan girls crashing through the areas like wild bulls.

"What are they even doing?" asked Momo.

"Guess they're enjoying some free time," Miho inferred. "Say, I haven't seen Mika and her Jatkosota team."

"They're at their tank," Sodoko replied. "Katyusha raged about them 'stealing our KV-1' and something. Maho told them that one of them should stay away from each other, in order to avoid further conflicts."

"Both agreed, and Jatkosota went to the tank," Miho finished, and both Sodoko and Momo nodded in affirmation.

As the girls went to their usual antics, Miho silently walked towards the open entrance. The piles were now higher up, filled with both necessary and unnecessary goods; Miho smiled.

"At least we have some freedom," she noted. "Before something bad happens."

She went through the piles, and went out. The sunlight outside blazed the area, the asphalt on the parking lot radiating out an intense heat that felt like that of lava. Miho walked through, finding herself sweating profusely. She walked towards the train, which was not far away; however, Miho realized that carrying supplies would be problematic in the heat.

"Mika!" Miho called out to the girls, who had a giant tent set up next to their tank.

Mika waved at her, playing her kantele still. Aki was fixing the tent, while Mikko was just lazing in the shade.

"What brings the wind here?" asked Mika.

"I am curious about what you all were doing," she replied.

"Still blowing in the wind," Mika continued, playing her kantele. "But let's get to the point."

Miho blinked, as Mika's voice suddenly changed in tone.

"I think it was you," Mika said, her eyes starting intently at her. "Who wished for us to have dreams, right?"

Miho blinked, then gasped.

"How did you know?" asked Miho.

"I guess," she replied. "I still felt a little guilty back at the Parade Warehouse."

"Don't," Miho replied, waving her hands, blushing. "At least you all understand, now."

"Thanks," Mika said, her voice changing back to her usual self. "But the world flows like the oceans of the cosmos."

"Hey!" Aki said. "We brought a little too many tents like these! What should we do with them?"

Miho looked back. Maho was coming out, apparently curious of where Miho went.

"I have an idea," Miho said.

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Much better," said Katyusha, as she and other girls started to transport their goods. "Man, I did not expect you to be so good at this, Mika-san!"

"Well," began Mika. "It was-"

"Hey!" Aki and Mikko both called out, deliberately distracting their commander. "We need some help here!"

"The wind blows elsewhere," Mika replied, as she hurried along.

"You like her more now, Katyusha-sama?" asked Nonna, as she was one of the few still setting up the tents.

"Nope!" she replied. "Well, maybe a little more. But I still am thinking about that KV-1!"

"At least she helped us," Nina said, putting up the tents. "This is a great idea."

It sure was. Miho directed some of the girls to set up the tents provided by the Jatkosota Team. Although there were not enough tents to provide full shade, the tents created a loose path of partially shaded areas, allowing the girls to transport their goods back and forth, instead of doing it in the full blistering heat.

"I am so glad that everything went well," said Miho, watching the teams work together.

"It was your idea, right?" Maho said, petting her sister. "How did you know?"

"I was afraid of some small conflicts," Miho answered. "Like Katyusha angry at Mika. And her team had spare tents. I don't know how they had that many, but I found out that they had enough to make a partially shaded road of tents."

"And that allows all of us," said Maho, petting her still. "To carry our goods without getting blistered by the heat."

"Or seared into meat," joked Miho, leading to laughter from both girls.

"Good thing we're still not meat," Maho said, who stopped petting but now laid both of her hands on Miho's shoulders. "I am proud of you."

"Eh?"

"Miho," she continued. "It was because of you that I decided to do what I believed was important; we flee together, we work together, and we hopefully can get out of this apocalypse together."

"We live, breathe, and die together," Miho said, tears falling down.

"Miho," Maho said, facing her this time. Their eyes both met.

"If I am not there," she said. "I hope to see you in dreams."

Miho wept.

* * *

 **Well, this chapter tu** **rned out to be so long, I split this chapter into two: In Dreams is the title for now. I originally wanted it to be "Sharing the Dreams I," but let me know.**

 **Thank you for all your support!**


	8. Chapter 8: Of Mystery and Joshua

**We return to the Warehouse, and the girls are finally having a feast...**

 **Until something happens that will rock their world.**

 **Just read.**

 **Update: I need to know who had a "zombie dream." One of you talked about having a dream about NOT seeing any zombies for miles; I want to credit you for that.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 8: Of Mystery and Joshua**

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **9:15 AM; July 9, 20XX**

Miho wiped away her tears, as the girls finally loaded their tanks and cargo container with as much supply as possible.

"It's getting a little cloudy," remarked Maho, as the girls unloaded the last of their supplies. "And...I think that's all."

"No!" Erika roared. "Didn't I tell that _this_ is unnecessary?"

The sisters walked to Erika, wondering what was going on. Erika was fuming, while Yuuki and Hana both were holding something in their hands.

"Some toys?" Maho remarked, eyeing the strange sets of what looked like children's knitting equipment kits.

"Isn't that immature for them?" asked Erika.

Maho stared, then at Miho.

"Let them have it," both girls replied, leaving Erika stunned. Yuuki and Hana, however, both thanked them and bounced away.

"Why?" Erika asked, flabbergasted.

"This is apocalypse," said Maho. "Sometimes, you need something to keep your sanity. Even a toy will do; Miho has her Boko doll for company."

"Ah..." Erika groaned. "What do dolls have to do with this?"

"Really?" Maho began. "Don't you keep-"

Erika frantically waved with both of her hands, in order to silence her. Maho merely smirked, while Miho looked on a little confused.

"So," Maho said, trying to change the topic. "Aren't we hungry?"

 _Grrr..._

"Yeah," Erika admitted.

"It looks like we have everything we need," Maho said. "Let's go..."

"...and have a feast!" Miho cried out, and the rest of the girls roared in agreement.

"Guess they were all hungry, after all," Maho remarked, as she and her sister watched the girls quickly set up the grills out of the warehouse. Kuromorimine girls wasted no time in turning on the grills, especially those that heated very fast, and dumped a large number of sausages on them, in order to "coat" the grills in delicious juice.

"Those will be thrown away," Maho remarked, as her team quickly threw out the burnt sausages. "And girls! Make sure you dispose of the trash!"

Almost at once, a few girls brought out the trash bins, and the girls hastily worked through. As if controlled by a hive mind, the girls immediately set out doing what they did best. Maho silently waved at her sister, and went to help with the trash.

"No!" Erika roared. "Nishizumi-san! You shouldn't help us with something this menial!"

"I am a leader," she retorted. "I want to help everyone, just as Miho does."

She winked at Miho, who smiled back and went to help others out. However, she stopped when she saw an unusual sight.

"What are you doing?" she asked Anzu. Anzu was staring intently at a strange circular, white machine, which was wheezing with air. It contained a large number of cut pieces of sweet potatoes; Miho also noticed a pile of sweet potato skins and debris nearby.

"Drying her chips," answered Yuzu.

Miho giggled nervously, but nodded. The special food dryer was working its magic; Anzu almost drooled, as the pieces inside shriveled into orange gems of flavor. She immediately took one out, while it was still working, and tasted it.

"Hmm," she remarked. "American sweet potatoes taste a little 'wetter' than ours, which are very dry. But this will do."

"I did a little research," said Yuzu. "In America, sweet potatoes are orange."

"Why are they orange?" Momo asked, making a face at the sweet potatoes. "They look...weird."

"Beta carotene," replied Yuzu. "It gives them that orange color."

"Just gather more for me," Anzu said. Momo rolled her eyes, and she and Yuzu went inside.

Meanwhile, the Duck and Anteater Teams threw hunks of food, instead of carrying them. Miho watched very nervously, as a few packets almost dropped to the floor.

"Girls..." she said nervously, but decided that they were careful enough, and let them do their thing.

The Hippo and Rabbit Teams worked to set up the tables and chairs, while the Duck and Anteater Teams joined in, lifting and carrying the heaviest items. Miho giggled again, seeing how each team had a different idea of how to even set up the _tables_.

"No! Set them up with historical furniture!"

"Let's make them cute, and add rabbit dolls on top of the tables!"

"Put a volleyball in the middle!"

"How about game consoles on top?"

The Turtle, Mallard, and Anglerfish Teams all oversaw the setting process, ensuring that all tables were set, all grills were burning, and anything else was done. The Leopon Team was mostly responsible for fixing the grills and other machines needed for cooking, such as rice cookers.

Miho giggled.

"OK," she decided. "Guess it's good to be fun, I guess."

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **10:00AM; July 9, 20XX**

"I am hungry!" Saori groaned. "And of all the girls, I am saying it!"

"Relax," said Anzu casually, as she helped Saori with the cooking. "We'll have a nice brunch here!"

"I can't believe we argued over food!" Momo groaned. "I just wanted to eat, and we spent a crazy 15 minutes just to talk about what to cook!"

"At least we've decided fast enough," Yuzu comforted her.

Miho nodded in agreement, as she oversaw with her sister. All of the Oarai girls decided that they would help out others with the cooking. Each school had a distinct culture, due to their ties to a foreign country (except for Oarai and Chi-Ha-Tan, who were mostly Japanese in culture). Indeed, there were eight grill stations, each used by a specific school; the Oarai's is used mostly to help other schools.

The St. Gloriana girls calmly cooked their food, grilling sausages, bacon, eggs (scrambled on a pan over the grill, since they could not use a stove), tomatoes, and mushrooms. Rosehip, however, was doing the hard work of keeping the tea boiling; the whole set was being made in an outlet indoors. Miho found it odd, to see a strawberry-blond girl rocketing back and forth, bringing in tea.

The Saunders girls had the largest grill, because they were grilling a huge amount of food. Hamburger patties, hot dogs, steak, and all kinds of meat cuts were on the grill, simmering in the heat. Miho resisted the urge to drool at the sight.

"Nice!" Kay roared, as she and her comrades frantically raced to get the cooking done; she herself was eating from a bowl of cereal with milk the whole time. Miho tilted her head, wondering how Kay was able to multi-task that well. Her eyes grew even wider, when Kay suddenly started to put pizza dough on the grill.

"Hey!" Anchovy roared from her grill, which was modified into a makeshift stove, so that she and her friends were able to cook pasta. "How is that even possible?"

"I got it from the Internet!" Kay answered back. "It's quite easy!"

"Let us try!" the Anzio girls roared, as they frantically placed their own pizza dough. Miho tried to resist the urge to drool again, as the fragrance of Italian food filled the air. Unlike the Saunders girls, the Anzio girls quickly sprinkled their own food with rosemary, basil, and all kinds of spices; Miho noticed piles of pesto and olive oil next to them.

"Nonna!" roared Katyusha. "Can't we speed up _our_ cooking?"

Miho forgot how many times she giggled nervously, and this was no exception. Katyusha sat on top of a tall chair, using it like a throne. She watched her comrades cooking soups and stews on two makeshift campfires, with tripod-like stands to hold the pots; Yukari helped them to make the fires. One pot had porridge, while the other had borscht boiling out. Klara was personally grilling what looked like swords with meat skewered onto them.

"What are those?" Miho asked, coming in to check.

"Shashlyk," she answered. "It's a form of kebab."

"Kebab...Meat skewers, right?" Miho inferred. "Different from yakitori, but similar enough."

"Smart girl," Klara winked.

"Never knew Russia had these," Miho remarked.

"It's from the Middle East," she replied. "But we Russians love this variation."

"Klara!" Katyusha commanded. "I am hungry!"

" _Da_ ," Klara replied in Russian, handing her a piece of meat on a toothpick.

Miho walked off, smiling as the cute girl tried to blow the piece, but was clearly savoring the flavor.

"Miho," a voice called. Miho turned around, facing Nonna. Being the tallest girl in the whole group, not just Pravda but also in the entire group of survivors, Nonna looked formidable. She handed her a whole skewer of beef, pork, chicken, and fish.

"Huh?"

"Thanks for keeping us alive," she replied. "I...I guess it's gratitude for keeping us alive. Maho told me to give you one too."

Miho smiled.

"Thanks," she replied. Nonna gave off a subtle smile, and walked back to her group.

Miho bit a piece of grilled steak; its juice oozed out, and Miho felt peaceful.

"Ah..." she commented, savoring the flavor, as she walked past the Kuromorimine group, which she already helped out before. Of all the girls, they were the most prepared; while others were just setting up their food, the Kuromorimine already finished up their first batch of meals. Plates of bratwursts, sauerkraut, German fries, pretzels, and even white asparagus lined one of their tables, which were gone almost as soon as they appeared.

"What's this?" Kay asked, biting into a sausage. "Strangely big for a hot dog."

"Not dog," Erika groaned. "Bratwurst."

"I thought it was brat- _worst_ ," grunted Alisa, who came by with a hot dog on her left hand.

"Bratwurst," Erika corrected her. "Germans call 'w' as 'v.' Americans get it so wrong; they call it that way."

"And this?" asked Alisa, poking at the white asparagus.

"Spargel," answered Erika, now annoyed. "And please, get back to work."

"In your face," she retorted, leading to a glaring contest between the two.

"OK, you two," Maho calmly but firmly told them. "Just get back to work."

The two silently rolled their eyes, and left each other in peace.

Miho silently watched the two, sighing. She continued to munch on the kebab, and went over to the last two. Due to a lack of Finnish food inside the store, the Jatkosota girls decided to share their grill with the overtly enthusiastic Chi-Ha-Tan girls. All kinds of meat were grilling; Miho recognized yakitori, teriyaki, yakiniku, and other types of Japanese meat skewers. The Jatkosota girls helped out with their own campfire, which was boiling ramen noodles.

"Hey," Miho noticed Mikko eating something. "Is that...bread?"

"Ruisleipä," she replied. "A type of rye bread. Want a bite?"

"Sure," she replied. Mikko ripped out a piece, and lightly threw it. Miho caught it with one hand, causing Mikko to whistle.

"Nice," she replied, as Miho swallowed the piece.

She made a funny face.

"Rye is different," she remarked.

"Hehe," Mikko grinned with her other teammates. "It is. Something most Japanese are not used to."

Initially, the girls intended to finish cooking, then feast together. Eventually, it turned into a literal free-for-all, where girls simultaneously cooked, walked around, and talked. Only the Kuromorimine and Oarai girls actually managed to stop cooking, as they managed to cook enough so that they cleaned up their station.

"Small wonder," Kay remarked, as she grilled a huge hunk of patty. "Both schools are now led by the Nishizumi sisters."

"They're legendary, I guess," Naomi calmly replied, blowing her gum.

"What more can they do?" asked Alisa. "Surprise us?"

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **10:00AM; July 9, 20XX**

At the same time as the girls were cooking and feasting, the same animal that chased the train growled. Its stomach also growled; the smells of the meat in the air did not help.

 _Grrr..._

 _Grrr..._

The animal could not hold it anymore. It stood up, and stomped on its two legs, crashing through the forest. Suddenly, it heard a noise, and crouched down again. The animal stayed hidden, watching a group of people stomping through the forest, in the direction of the warehouse.

"Man!" one of them roared. "Finally, we've found a warehouse! Looting at last!"

"And after having to walk the whole way?" another man grunted. "I can't believe we had to abandon our cars, and walk through this **** vegetation!"

"Wait!" another man declared, and the whole group stood silent. The animal also stayed still.

The man smelled the air, wielding a heavily modified HK416 assault rifle, with had a miniature grenade launcher attached to it.

"You smell that?" the man asked.

"Yes, sir!" the others answered, saluting him.

"Smells like a feast," he declared. "Somebody already arrived at that warehouse."

"Man!" one of the groaned, and uttered numerous curses. "Can't believe somebody already found it!"

"Come on," said one of the men, preparing his AK-47. "Let's just raid that place, subdue the survivors, and see what will happen next."

"And yeah," the leader himself continued. "We also need to search for our three comrades, who suddenly disappeared while guarding our escape train."

"Oh!" a man with a M4 carbine interjected. "The Senshadou train?"

"Yes," the leader hissed. "Last time we saw it, those Jap girls were clearly moving towards it. Apparently, they took it, because it's gone."

"Good thing we followed the railroad," mumbled one of the men.

"Captain!" one of the smaller men pointed. "Look! There's that train!"

The animal also looked. The train was stationary, but a few girls were working to turn it on. The animal turned back, and saw a malicious grin on the leader's face.

"As long as the girls have no guns," he declared, licking his teeth. "The girls are nice virgins to take."

The whole group snickered, and they all crept up to the warehouse.

"Team Leaper and Team Ripper," he commanded. "Split up and encircle them."

The whole group split, and slowly approached the warehouse. Team Leaper went to the left, while Ripper went to the right.

The animal, watching them, slowly crept behind the Team Leaper, which was noticeably smaller. It also noticed that one of them was feeling hesitant.

"Jack!" one of the bandits grunted. "Stop fidgeting, and just go!"

"Oh...OK," he replied reluctantly, as he followed his team.

The animal watched, then crept up to the warehouse.

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **10:15AM; July 9, 20XX**

"That was nice," Miho said, sitting down to enjoy a bratwurst skewered to a kebab stick with her sister, who held her own skewer.

"It sure is," she replied, as the two sat together, away from the others. In fact, they were talking right behind the train's cargo container, which they stored with a variety of supplies, mostly useful. Miho personally told the Leopon girls that they needed some personal time, and they all left, glad to have some free time. Both girls also were each holding a large mug of _Bier_ , or German beer.

The girls behind them were all now drinking. The St. Gloriana girls sipped their tea as usual, but also experimented with whiskey, cider, and even coffee.

"Eh..." Orange Pekoe, Assam, and Rukuriri made faces, surprised at the sudden bitterness of the black drinks. Darjeeling camly tasted it, while Rosehip gulped entire cups.

The other girls were more open-minded with drinks. The Saunders girls gorged on American beer, wine, and bourbon whiskey, while the Anzio girls celebrated with Italian wine and some cider. The Pravda girls drank tea with the St. Gloriana, while wielding their own bottles of vodka. Katyusha, still seated on her high chair, was drinking milk by the pints.

"I need to grow taller!" she groaned.

Miho smirked, as she watched the other girls drinking beer, wine, and even milk. The girls were clearly enjoying the American drinks, especially the juice and milk bottles.

"I guess we all feel good right now," Maho said. "Miho, I...Man, I am too worried."

She drank her mug, while Miho quietly sipped her own.

"Don't worry," Miho giggled, but happily this time. "I am sure everything will be fine."

"I am amazed that you are," Maho replied. "You keeping up with all this; even I was afraid that you would...start _catastrophizing_ , and panic."

"I really wanted to," Miho answered. "But a panicked mind is a dangerous one, especially right now. We're all relaxed enough, the train is ready to go, and we all will be leaving the warehouse in about 30 minutes."

"Some of them complained," said Maho. "Understandably, since this location feels safe. However, we felt that it would not be. Miho, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Did you cause us to dream?"

She smiled nervously.

"Y-yes," she replied. "If that hurt you, sorry."

"No-no," Maho replied back. "I-I am actually glad. That way, I get to understand how you feel."

"Thanks," she said. "So, onee-chan, what did you dream?"

Maho looked up, and began to tell her...

 _I remember that was in the middle of a city street, the buildings surrounding me. Cars were everywhere, but no sign of life, not even corpses. I kept walking through this place, and was disturbed by the lack of any sign of life, or former life._

 _Suddenly, I held a strange katana in my hand, and I faced a zombie. I fought it, and others with ease. Then, somebody put a strange headphone on my neck, and...I struggled to keep control. My body tried to kill a human who suddenly appeared, but I resisted. I saw others with the same headphones on them, and theirs changed. When I saw them kill humans, their headphones changed from glowing red to glowing blue. I realized that the headphones changed their colors, based on whether one had murdered. Realizing this, I managed to command others of my team, all of whom had the strange gear, to resist the urge to kill, to murder..._

 _So far, it worked. However, the horrific desire became stronger and stronger, and I could not control it anymore. Fortunately, Koume ran and ran, and I saw her confront you...and tried to kill a human. Fortunately, I somehow lent her the last of my energy, and she was able to break free. Her breaking free somehow gave us the energy to keep fighting..._

"...and that's where my dream ended," Maho replied.

"Wow," Miho said, visibly disturbed. "I hope you're OK."

"Actually," Maho said, coming close face-to-face with her sister. "I think you're the key to freeing me."

"Eh?"

"Miho," she told her. "No matter what happens, stay strong, stay determined. Do the right thing; if you find someone worthy of listening to, test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."

Miho blinked.

"That last parts..." Miho said. "From test to evil, those lines sound familiar."

"They do," Maho said. "I guess I heard them in my dre-"

 _BOOM!_

Both girls stood up, tense. They heard shouts and screams coming from the warehouse. Both sisters ducked underneath the train, and watched.

A group of men stormed the girls, just as they were finishing up their feasts. The apparent leader of them fired an assault rifle into the air, bullets flying into the sky like a volcanic eruption. The girls all around screamed, as they tried to scatter, only to be encircled all around.

"You better watch your moves," said the leader, grinning maliciously. "Don't you move!"

He changed his voice frequently, going from calm but sinister to outright explosive. Miho and Maho both noted this, and it worked like a charm. The girls quickly grouped into their own teams, with some shivering more visibly than others. The Oarai girls split into their teams, and were all over the place. Miho noticed that of all the girls, the Rabbit Team was the most visibly shaken, hiding behind Saori and the rest of the Anglerfish Team. The leader of each Oarai team stood up in front of her own team.

The sisters also noticed the same thing for their school allies. The St. Gloriana girls held the calmest appearance, but Miho could tell that all of them were shaking a little. The Saunders girls looked as if ready to fight; Alisa and Kay both tried to get guns, only to realize that they had none. All of the guns were in a pile under a tent, which the bandits apparently saw and quickly blocked.

"MG 34?" roared a few of the bandits. "Bah! Useless guns!"

"It's from their tanks," remarked one of them. "Remember?"

The Anzio girls still held their pans, trying to finish up the last of their Italian dishes. The Pravda girls stood up, trying to act tough, except for Katyusha who ducked behind the back of Nonna, only to swallow hard and move to the front; she did not want to look like a kid, and saw other leaders stepping up to protect their own teams. Due to Miho and Maho not being there, Hana of Anglerfish Team and Erika of Kuromorimine stepped up against the bandits. Mika continued to play her kantele silently, while Kinuyo slapped herself hard, then held her head high against the bandits.

"So," the leader of the bandits said, swinging his HK416 around, scaring some of the girls. "You are from that Senshadou Parade, eh? Jap girls from Japan, now on the run from the apocalypse we face. And now, you are here, celebrating like as if nothing's happening in the world."

"Until you came!" Katyusha roared.

"Who is this?" asked one of the soldiers, aiming a carbine gun at her. "Oh, it's that little girl Katyusha, the one who beat Kuromorimine."

Katyusha only pouted, but bit her tongue to avoid saying anything to cause the gun to fire.

"And these," the leader said, looking around. "Look like the rest of the teams from Japan."

"What are we going to do with them, boss?" asked one of the goons, who approached Kay and snatched away her hot dog. Despite being half-eaten, the man simply gobbled it down.

"Yum," he winked at Kay, causing her to kick him between the groin.

"Uff!" he winced, as he fell down. Two of the bandits aimed their guns at her, but laughed at their comrade's pain.

"An American girl?" asked one of the henchmen. The leader went over, and looked at her, and grinned.

"Another American wannabe," he replied. "Well, they're all Japanese, and they sure look like nice virgins to take."

Miho and Maho both shook, both with anger and with concern. The two girls slowly crept around, using the train to enter the forested boundary, then crept around to the back of the warehouse. They then dashed to the warehouse, and hid behind a wall to eavesdrop.

The leader kept looking around the girls, while his men kept the girls hostage. The leader suddenly frowned.

"Say," he began. "Speaking of the train-"

"Boss!" three voices boomed from inside the warehouse.

"Ah," he realized, as two of his men went inside. "So, there were our three men, who failed to keep watch."

The two men brought out the three bound captives, who apparently were a part of the group. They were apparently still bound, and some of the girls put them to sleep with alcohol and some sort of sleeping powder they found inside the warehouse's pharmacy, in order to keep them silent. Unfortunately, the effects wore off, and the men were glad to be saved.

"I haven't seen you in a while," said the leader.

"Joram!" one of the three bound men spoke. "Thanks for coming to save us! These girls were-"

"No need to say twice," he said, as he whipped out a Desert Eagle handgun, and shot one of them.

"Boss!" one of the other bound men spoke, before getting shot.

None of the bandits showed any visible sign of remorse, while the girls were shaking with intense fear, with the calmer ones quieting and comforting the more nervous ones.

"Onee-chan," Miho spoke nervously.

"Miho," she replied back. "This is bad."

The sisters watched in horror. The group of bandits consisted of 15, including the three bound men. Most of them aimed their guns at the girls, keeping them under control. A few of them inspected the girls more closely.

However, now there were only 13 of the bandits.

"You know," Joram said, spinning his handgun casually in his right hand. "The number of 13 is an unlucky number, so why not?"

"Brother!" the last bound man cried, moaning. "Why?"

"Didn't I tell you?" he clearly said. "You promised to secure the tank, then get any girl you can. Now, you failed me on two fronts."

"They got us by surprise!" the lone bound man yelled. "And don't underestimate the girls!"

"Shut up," Joram said casually, before aiming the gun.

"I am your only brother left!" he groaned. "You are a few days younger, but I let you lead the group, only because you united the whole group! Now, this is what you reward for your blood?"

"Shut up," Joram said with the same air of apathy. Both sisters winced, as Joram shot the lone shot.

"You will pay for this..." Joram's brother groaned. "May my God deal with you severely...God, please forgive me...Save me..."

The man smiled, visibly happy to die in peace, and slowly moved his body to avoid showing his fatal wound. Joram rolled his eyes, and put his handgun back in.

"Now," Joram said, walking around the group. "Which girls look good..."

Miho and Maho continued to observe, trying to find a way to save their girls. Unfortunately, two of the men were guarding the stockpile of guns, while some of the others kept their guns aimed at the girls. To make matters worse, Joram and a few of the men were a little too close to some of the girls.

"Joram!" one of the goons grunted, holding up the chin of Erika. "This meat's good!"

"Harassment," Maho hissed, as Erika slapped his hand away. The other men roared with laughter, causing Erika to blush. Their reaction was _not_ what she expected.

"You too!" one of the tallest of bandits, a two-meter behemoth, roared. "Stand up!"

Nonna and Klara both stood up, as the giant man eyed them like a bear to a honeycomb. He licked his lips, causing the two to flinch, although their faces remained unchanged.

"Those two sure are succulent," the man replied. "Both have nice features, and you...you're Russian, aren't you?"

Klara gasped, as the man raised his gun at her.

"How do you know?" asked Nonna, raising her hands in surrender. Miho and Maho both sensed nervousness in her voice, despite her calm face.

"Because I'm American," he retorted. "And I know a dirty Commie when I see him, or _her_."

"Look here!" Katyusha roared, shielding Klara. "I-I may not know Russian, but she's human! And she's my team!"

"Back off, little girl," he hissed, knocking her down with his rifle stock. The Pravda girls growled, as their commander bravely shook her head and rose up.

"You better watch your hands, mister," growled Nonna.

"Whatever," he growled. "Because we got your AK-47."

Nonna did not change her face, but Miho noticed it become a little pale. One of the soldiers searched the grills, and found the gun carefully hidden underneath a pile of supplies. Miho and Maho both retreated back.

"We've got to do something," Miho whispered. "Fast!"

"Those bandits are sure crafty," Maho whispered back. "They have guns aimed at our friends, and they're heavily armed. We've checked every potential loophole through their defense, but this is NOT tank warfare."

"But what can we do?" asked Miho, holding her Boko doll very tightly.

"You there!" one of the bandits, slightly smaller than the war veteran, pointed at Akebi. She shook, but stood up deliberately and firmly, with some encouragement from her team.

"This girl is VERY nice," said the bandit, eyeing her. "Strong, succulent flesh and all."

"Will they stop referring to us like meat?" growled Maho. "They're treating us like pigs, rather than humans!"

"They're unfortunate, aren't they?" asked Miho. "And I do not see any way out of this."

The bandit who picked out Akebi approached her, who backed away.

"Oh..." she moaned.

"Don't give up!" Noriko roared. "Stay strong!"

"Stay strong, stay strong, stay strong," she chanted, trying to ready her mind for the inevitable horror.

The man approached her, closer and closer.

"Stay-strong-stay-strong!"

He came closer.

"Stay strong!"

He was close enough to reach out.

"Stay strong!" she cried out.

He grabbed her; fortunately, Akebi was able to think, and moved a little forward. The man tried to grab her chest, but ended up grabbing her shoulders.

He smiled.

"Somebody help!" both Akebi and Miho cried out.

 _KKKEEEAAAHHH!_

 _RRRAOOOOOAAAAHH!_

Two sudden noises broke the air, making everyone jump. Something brown and white struck the bandit who held Akebi, knocking him down. A black-and-orange silhouette charged into the man who found the hidden AK-47, mauling him.

Without thinking, Miho charged into the chaos, and snatched the AK-47 away.

"Miho!" Maho roared, as bullets flew around. Miho jumped back into the wall just in time, as two of the bandits tried to find the girl who snatched the rifle away. Miho panted profusely, as Maho cuddled her tight.

"Don't even do that please!" Maho whispered furiously, but glad to see her alive.

 _Boom! Boom! Boom!_

Bullets shot throughout the area, as the bandits tried to both take down the animals attacking them, while subduing the girls who were trying to flee. Three of them managed to flee.

"Saki!" Miho whispered, seeing the silent girl right next to her. She was staring at a butterfly flying around, maintaining her calm face, although she was sweating.

"That was nuts!" Alisa moaned, who somehow dragged Assam by her side. "Assam? How did I get you here?"

"No idea," she curtly replied, too scared to think straight. "Thanks for rescuing me."

"Oh..." moaned the familiar voices from the rescuers.

"Oh!" Miho and Maho both recognized the voices.

"These attacked us?" roared one of the bandits, kicking the tiger. The eagle managed to stay by the side of Kay and the Duck Team, trying to shield them with its wings. To her horror, Miho saw that while they were still alive, they got hit bad. Three bullets went into the tiger's stomach, barely missing its vital organs. The eagle fared no better; it got two bullets through its more vulnerable body, missing its own vital organs by mere millimeters. Both animals were panting hard.

"A tiger and a bald eagle," said Joram, looking at the animals. "They're quite big for their kinds, and they have something in their eyes."

"Eyes?" asked one of the smallest of the bandits, who looked like a teenage boy.

"Lay not thy hands on them!" the tiger roared, wincing in pain.

"A talking tiger?!" the bandits roared, stunned.

Miho and Maho both noticed that three of the bandits were down, including the man who spotted the AK-47. They were all knocked unconscious, or breathing hard. Like the girls, the bandits expressed immense shock at the fact that the animals could even _talk_.

"And not on my own body!" the eagle screeched, blinking with pain.

"A talking eagle?!" the bandits roared again, then laughed maniacally. The girls stared, shocked.

"A nice bounty," Joram said. "We can sell the animals for a nice profit."

"Over my dead body!" the animals both groaned.

"I know not what you mean by 'profit' or something," the tiger groaned. "But we hear the girls cry, and we come!"

"At least they're not dead," said one of the bandits, as he and two others lifted up the tiger. "Oh! This is a big guy!"

A few girls tried to move, but one of the bandits shot. A bullet grazed one of the girls, tearing her clothing off like a stray pair of scissors.

"Oh!" Erwin gasped, sitting down faster than she got up.

"Use the AK!" Miho whispered, giving it to her sister. "I think you shoot better than I did with this!"

"I don't think so!" Maho objected. "You were better with unusual guns, and I am not familiar with the AK variety!"

"Bu-but," Miho tried to resist, but sighed as she quietly prepared the gun. She aimed it, not to kill, but to distract the bandits somehow.

"Not a single hurt," said the animals, panting hard. "On the girls! The Chosen will get you all!"

"Chosen?" the bandits asked.

"Ah," said Joram. "I heard about those super-human beings."

Miho and the rest of the girls blinked.

"Heard about them," explained Joram, musing visibly. "Not long after the earthquakes, some of the people developed a strange mutation of sort, becoming far stronger than the average man. They were able to kill off zombies that even our guns could not. Not sure how was that possible, but I have a feeling that one of you..."

He and his bandits pointed the guns at the girls.

"...that one of you is Chosen," said Joram. "Or at least going to be Chosen."

"Who are exactly the Chosen?" asked Oryou, raising her hand.

"Some of the zombies and humans whispered about them," said Joram. "All I know is that the Chosen are strong enough to take down all of us, and I have no intention to think twice. Chosen! Show yourself, or see your friends die!"

Miho shivered.

"Miho..." Maho whispered. "Are you..."

"I honestly don't know," said Miho. "But I guess I have to..."

She handed her sister the gun, and the rest of the girls gasped, as she silently walked out. The bandits pointed their guns at her. The tiger and the eagle both cried in joy.

"Chosen!" both animals called out.

"So," said Joram. "You're the Chosen, eh?"

"I honestly do-don't know about it," Miho replied. "Who are the _Chosen_ , really?"

"Then let me ask you," said Joram. "Have you ever had dreams that no one else had?"

All of the girls gasped.

"Guess so," said Joram. "I heard about these Chosen; from what I hear, the Chosen usually become one, due to dreams. I hear that before they become Chosen, they are Touched."

"Touched?" the girls asked.

"Touched ones are those who dream strange dreams," said Joram. "More like visions of the future. And how they can take down zombies and even humans alike with ease. Then, they become Chosen, if they choose to."

"What do you want to do with her?" one of the smallest bandits asked. He looked like a very young teenage boy, barely 13 years old.

"She's worth more than all of the girls here," said Joram, aiming his gun at her. "But I am not letting you take advantage; I believe that she called out, and the animals heeded her.

"Leave her alone!" the animals groaned. "We come to help!"

"And I have a feeling," snarled Joram. "That you have more tricks up your sleeves. Some of us sensed another animal stalking us. Show it now!"

"Another?" asked Miho.

"Don't fool me!" Joram roared, aiming the gun, ready to pull the trigger.

"I am honest!" she cried out. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Liar, liar," the man lied. "But we felt it; something was stalking us as we walked by here."

"Hey!" one of the bandits stepped in. "Just capture her, and interrogate her later!"

"Silence, Jack!" Joram snarled, bashing him away. "She's worth more than gold, you know! And some military company even hired us out to find the Chosen Ones, and bring them!"

"Company?" asked some of the girls.

"Some secret company," said Joram. "And mind your mouths, Japs."

"Please!" Maho roared, coming out of her hiding. "Leave her and everyone alone!"

"Ah," Joram said, grinning wide. "Maho, the girl who will represent Japan for the International Tankery Tournament. Nice to meet you."

He aimed the gun at Miho, and motioned another to aim at Maho.

"Goodbye, Jap girls."

"NOOO!" Miho roared.

 _CRAAAAAAAAAAUUUGHHHH!_

A strange sound erupted out of the forest. The bandits' shots missed their targets by inches, but both Miho and Maho stood their ground.

"Eh-eh?" the bandits and the girls cried out.

Everything was still. The eagle and the tiger, however, both growled in fear.

"It's here," both animals croaked, visibly nervous.

"Who's...here?" Miho called out, both to the animals and to whatever roared in the forest.

"Don't you fool me!" Joram roared, approaching her and slamming her with his rifle stock. Unlike Katyusha, Miho blocked it, although the impact made her wince.

"Leave her alone," a booming voice echoed. "She did not summon me."

"Eh?" Joram asked, raising his gun. "Then come out! Or I will shoot her!"

"Shooting her is no good," said the voice in the forest, as it visibly sounded closer. "Or else the Chosen can heal back."

"What do you mean?" Joram growled. "Animal, show yourself!"

"Nice try," said the voice, booming somewhere in the forest. Miho and Maho both noticed that the direction of the voice changed, implying that the animal moved.

"If you don't!" Joram roared. "I am shooting the girls!"

"Shoot the girls all you want," the voice boomed. "But I think you a coward."

Joram shook, then roared.

"Just show yourself, for **** out **** loud!" he roared. The American profanities went past the girls, most of whom lacked any knowledge of American cuss words.

"Now-now," the voice boomed. "You want it; I give it."

A sudden flash of blackish silhouette charged past, knocking three of the bandits down.

"What the-"

The same thing flashed by, knocking five more down.

"You monst-"

Joram did not finish, as the mysterious animal charged past again, knocking down the remainder of the bandits. All except Joram were moaning on the ground, as if hit by a speeding car. Although not dead, they were all visibly hurt; Miho winced, as she recognized that some of them had broken bones.

Joram stood confounded, not sure of what even transpired.

"What the-" he began, and both sisters saw their opportunity.

"Now!" Miho screamed.

In a flash, both Miho and Maho implemented the one plan that they already thought over with their escaped girls. Assam, Saki, and Alisa already readied the gun, which they found was already loaded. They decided to let Assam do it. She dashed out, and threw it at Maho.

Maho captured the gun, and shot at Joram's right shoulder. Hit, Joram stumbled back, holding his right shoulder on impulse. His gun dropped down to the ground.

Miho ran at him, and used a judo move to spin him, and pinned him to the ground. He groaned, and Miho heard an audible crack somewhere on the man's body.

"Charge!" she screamed at the rest of her friends, who wasted no time in swarming over the bandits.

"Seize them!"

"Charge!"

"Remove the guns!"

"Yikes!"

"Now, who's the weak ones now?"

"What are you-" one of the bandits tried to get up, only to get body slammed. Another tried to get up, but Nonna personally punched him in the face, knocking him down.

Miho then turned to face Maho, as Kinuyo patted her on the shoulder and pinned down Joram along with Darjeeling and Pekoe.

"Thanks, onee-"

Maho grabbed her, and hugged her tight.

"Please be...careful with being a hero next time," she mumbled, a tear falling down. "But at least you did the right thing."

"Thanks," Miho replied, hugging back, as the girls behind them continued to wrestle and subdue the struggling bandits. One of them, however, made no effort to resist.

"This guy's weird," remarked Azusa, eyeing him. "Sir, you OK?"

"I am," Jack sighed. "I am getting what I deserve, I guess."

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **11:00AM; July 9, 20XX**

"Now, what are we going to do with them?"

Alisa said the one thing that the girls did indeed ponder, after they successfully stripped the bandits of their supplies, down to even their bulletproof vests, and tied them tight. The men had only their jackets and uniforms on.

"Did you all search them thoroughly?" asked Momo, still on edge.

"We did," Assam said calmly, pointing to the pile of guns, ammo, and other supplies.

"M4 carbine!" Yukari roared, as she caressed each gun. "And HK416! The one that killed the infamous al-Qaeda terrorist leader! Beretta M9! Colt M1911! Glock and more AK-47..."

Yukari trailed off, upon seeing the weird faces of her comrades. The Oarai girls, as usual, were somewhat used to her reaction. The others, however, were more expressive.

"Eh..." the Pravda girls stared at the strange uproar.

"What the..." the St. Gloriana girls blinked, oblivious to their teacups spilling a little.

"Are you in love with rifles?" asked Erika, the one question that everybody around wanted to ask.

"Eh..." Yukari fidgeted.

"Let go of us!" Joram roared, struggling with his binds.

"Good thing we brought out some ropes," said Naomi, glaring at the men.

"Can't believe that a bunch of whiny girls," groaned a giant bandit. "Managed to take down all of us!"

"You shut up!" one of the bandits argued.

"You shut your **** puny!" the giant roared.

"All of you, shut up!" growled Mikko, kicking him. He leaned to try and headbutt her, but she stepped to the side, and he tumbled down face flat on the ground. Ironically, while the girls mostly expressed words like "ouch," his own fellow comrades laughed maniacally at him.

"Eek," said Kay, eyeing the men with concern. "I wonder if they're in their right minds."

"Anyhow!" Maho roared, getting the attention of everyone. "We've got more supplies. We have three of the HK416, with one being modified to have a grenade launcher. Six M4 carbines, three AK-47 rifles, and a large number of handguns, all of Beretta M9, Colt M1911, and Glock kinds."

"And how should we share them?" asked Erika, but got interrupted by Assam.

"Plus some food and other random supplies," said Assam, raising an eyebrow at one can of food. "Eww, Spam."

" _Oishi_ *pam!" Ayumi, Karina, and Aya chanted in unison " _Oishi_ *pam!"

"No!" Azusa cried. "Not that again!"

"Delicious Spam?" asked one of the bandits. The other bandits and even some girls eyed the chanting trio with an interested eye.

"Guess it sounds catchy," Erika remarked, rolling her eyes as she scavenged through the pile of goods taken from the bandits. "Yeah, other than guns and ammo, the bandits here have nothing useful to us."

"But now," said Miho, as she petted the tiger and the eagle. "What are we going to do with you all?"

She and a good number of girls all tended to the animals' wounds. The tiger purred, while eagle whistled calmly.

"Worry not about us," said the tiger, getting up. It winced, then went back down.

"Calm down," said Miho. "Rest a while."

"Thank you," it replied. "How do I look?"

"The wounds? They're almost lethal," noted Saori.

"They missed your vital organs by mere millimeters," said Mako nonchalantly, checking the bandaged wounds.

"We be fine," the eagle croaked. "But we may rest for a while."

"Yeah..." Miho said, musing.

"Wondering about me?"

Everybody, including the bandits and the animals, turned around. The same mysterious animal that took down the bandits was still hidden in the woods. However, Miho could barely make out a bipedal silhouette, but the dense vegetation and the shades from the mature trees covered its true form.

"Curse you!" a few of the bandits snarled at it.

"You don't even know me," the animal retorted.

Miho squinted at the location of the animal.

"Whatever it is," Sodoko shook. "It sure looks scary."

"Yeah..." Mako shook, holding Sodoko tightly. "Whatever it was, it was quite big and armored."

"Armored?" Miho asked.

"A few bandits tried to brandish their knives to slash," said Mako, still shaking. "I saw the blades bend and even crack; knives cannot penetrate armor easily. And the animal was wearing something, too."

"Armored animal..." Miho wondered.

"Chosen girl," the voice boomed. "Can you step forward?"

Everybody stared at her. Breathing deeply, she stepped forward, holding her Boko doll tight.

She kept walking towards the animal's hideout.

"Stop there," it commanded, and she stopped.

"I..." she began. "I guess I am curious about who you are. But first: thank you for saving us."

"No big deal," the voice echoed. "Oh, I am itching. This armor feels weird."

It made a move, and Miho and a few others glimpsed a large leg. It suddenly kicked into a tall tree, about 20 m or 60 ft tall. Miho and others gasped, as the whole tree fell down like a weak stick. Crashing into the floor, the tree groaned, splintered with clawed marks on it.

"Who are you?" she asked nervously.

"First, I give you two choices," the animal echoed. Miho suddenly turned around, as the tiger and the eagle growled audibly.

"We recommend that you listen to it," the tiger grunted. "It's no ordinary animal like we are."

"Huh?" Miho asked.

"Just answer it," the eagle croaked.

Miho nodded, and turned to face the animal. She gasped, as she saw what looked like bright blue eyes beneath the thick vegetation. They appeared almost feline, but Miho felt a sense of sympathy underneath them.

"Choose one of two," said the hiding animal. "Tell me to show myself to you, and you will see the truth. However, if you do, you must fight me as I am. You are quite weak; same for me. The other choice is this: wait, until you find your Hand of God, and I will be ready to fight as well."

Everybody blinked, confused.

"H-hand of God?" asked Miho.

"Sorry to bother," said the tiger. "But risen animal, I believe you know about the Chosen more than all of us."

"Good point," the eagle chimed in. "You just rose, and all who rose like you seem to have an innate knowledge of the Chosen."

"Your words speak well," the animal said. Sighing, it moved its body. Miho and the others could tell that it was a giant animal, larger than a rhinoceros. Surprisingly, it was able to hide beneath, like a chameleon.

"Listen carefully," said the animal. "I will tell you what I know about the Chosen, and this is also from my parents as well."

It made a strange gurgling sound, as it apparently cleared its throat to speak. The voice had a mysterious charisma to it:

* * *

 _We will see and chill_

 _When they shall rise and till_

 _On this very dawn of day_

 _Orb shall rise and say:_

 _Cursed be those who die to despair_

 _Corpse shall they be beyond repair._

 _But say! There is salvation_

 _By the by there is redemption._

 _Chosen shall rise and fight_

 _Curing the land with their light_

 _And the living shall rise to right_

 _To turn away the undead blight_

 _I shall end now_

 _But this is only the start_

 _We shall part_

 _But remember me now._

* * *

Silence filled the air, as the weight of the strange words filled the air. Miho nodded.

"I will wait," she replied. "I need to first understand about this being Chosen and all. If I find this Hand of God, and learn more about what's going on, then I will meet you. Let's meet when both of us are ready."

The animal said nothing, but Miho saw its strange silhouette nod. Miho nodded back. It then crept away, out of sight. Then, everybody heard a massive stomping sound, as the animal dashed away. They also heard two more stomping noises, larger than it, coming towards it.

"It met its parents," said Miho.

"I believe so," Maho agreed.

"But that aside!" blurted out Erika. "What was that about?"

"I think I know," Miho said, her eyes looking a little mystical.

"Eh?" Erika and the others asked.

"Did you all write it down?" asked Miho.

"Yes!" at least one girl from each team answered, except for Saki, who silently showed her own writing.

"It's obvious," said Miho. "That this 'Orb' is the source of the zombie apocalypse."

"And why would it do such a thing?" Yuuki asked, crying. "Innocent people already died, you know?"

"And the Chosen," continued Miho. "Seem to be the key to stopping this 'undead blight.' They are the source of 'salvation' and 'redemption.'"

"But that does not explain for the talking animals," said the tiger, grunting.

"It does," Miho said.

"Eh?" the tiger asked.

"One of the lines is ' _And the living shall rise to right_.' The line implies that some 'dead' beings shall rise."

"Isn't that referring to the undead?" asked Azusa.

"Nope," Maho said. "The 'living' there are clearly different from the 'undead blight.' This implies that now, we have the risen 'undead' and the 'living' that somehow seem to be revived of sort."

"You're spot on," said Miho. "But wonder why I am sort of the center of it all..."

Miho mused, tightening her grip on her Boko doll.

"Maybe I can help," one of bandits sighed. The girls turned to stare at him.

"Why help these Japs?" Joram blurted out. "Jack!"

"Now that we are all bound," said Jack. "I now feel free to say what I have always wanted to say: I am not Jack, Joram."

"What are you talking about?" Joram asked. "I've known you for a LONG time! Stop this nonsense!"

The bandit stood up. The girls gasped, as somehow the binds on his feet were gone.

"Joram," he said. "Let me tell you this; your friend Jack is dead."

"What?" Joram blurted out, eyes wide open.

"Jack gave me his disguise," he said. "Because we two look alike, except for the eyes, before he turned."

The girls stared, as somehow he was able to remove his binds with ease. He then off his face mask. It was a thin but well-made layer of fake skin.

"What?" Joram screamed. "Who-who are you?"

"I am Joshua Cracker," he replied.

Everybody stared at him, aghast.

"Let me explain," he began. "I was at a secret lab when-"

The whole ground started to shake.

"Oh no!" Joshua roared. "The Orb is doing it again!"

"What?" Miho and Joram both asked him, but the grounds started to shake. A huge crack suddenly appeared where the bandits were. The girls braced for the worst, huddling together tight.

"What the ****!" Joram cursed out, as the crack widened rapidly, giving him and his men little time to avoid it. Men after men went down screaming into the widening pit, with Joram as the last. He gripped the edge of the pit with his bare teeth.

"Mmh! Mmhmmmhmh!," Joram tried to mumble through his teeth.

"Sir!" Miho called out, running to him. "Let me help you!"

She grabbed him, and Joshua noticed something.

"Look out!" he screamed, as a flash of knife appeared from the man's right arm, which had a flap of fake skin flying in the wind. Miho jumped away just in time, as the knife missed her my mere millimeters.

Joram managed to grab the edge with his arms, struggling to get out.

"You..." Joram coughed, as Joshua approached. "You can't be Jack, right?"

"Jack is already dead," he replied. " _Undead_ , to be exact."

"How could he..." Joram began.

"Girls, back away," Joshua told the others. "I have a personal matter to deal with."

"For what?" he retorted.

"For putting girls' lives at risk," Joshua spat, and stomped on the bandit's hands. He screamed, as he fell down to his death. Suddenly, the fissure caved in, and Miho audibly heard the cracking and crushing of bones underneath. She winced at the sounds.

Joshua sighed.

"Sorry about that," he began. "I-"

 _Smack_.

"Ouch!" he moaned. "What was that for?"

"So you are a secret agent of sort?" asked Kay. "Well then, please explain. We will take you with us, but you must explain _everything_..."

She dragged the last word, and Joshua gulped, as he saw the glares of many of the girls.

"OK!" he replied, raising his hands up high in humble defeat. "I will tell you as much as I can! I am also looking to get out, but I got separated from my buddy Caleb and a scientist named Rudolf."

"Rudolf?" asked Miho.

"One of the American scientists who tempered with the Orb," he explained. "Which caused the outbreak."

Stunned silence filled the air, as the girls tried to understand what they heard. Joshua braced for the inevitable, squinting his eyes.

"WHAT?!" many girls screamed all at once.

"Are you nuts?" some of them continued to yell at the top of their voices.

He could not blame them; in fact, he expected them to NOT believe him at first. He remembered that last time his friend Rudolf told him about the Orb, even he was flabbergasted, refusing to believe it until he saw the Orb rise up out of the secret lab, emitting its strange glow. Even then, he was shocked beyond shocked.

* * *

Whispers started to feel the air, as the girls started to raise their voices higher and higher. Some of them started to panic, breathing heavily. Others, however, stared at Joshua with a slight sense of curiosity. Then again, as Joshua sort of guessed, it was human nature to be curious AND scared of the unknown.

"Silence!" a voice boomed with authority.

"Please, calm down!" another echoed, softer but no less authority.

Joshua looked up to see the sources of those two voices. For some reason, although the two sounded very different, they somehow sounded similar enough. Despite the difference in tone, the whole crowd became silent; Joshua guessed that the girls venerated the duo.

They looked remarkably alike, like blood sisters. One was taller than the other, and gave off a more mature feeling, with a dominating aura. The other had this calming and warming aura around her, which warmed even Joshua to his core; he unconsciously smiled.

Stopping in front of him, the taller girl spoke in a demanding tone.

"Tell us everything you know," she spoke. Joshua lost his smile.

"Eh..." he tried to think of what to say. Her voice strongly suggested the he should better cooperate, or something nasty would follow. He even glimpsed her fists clenching; he gulped.

"Onee-chan, please calm down!" the younger sister pleaded, holding her sister's arms. "We had enough bloodshed and violence already, we don't need any more!"

The shorter girl urged her, her brown eyes looking up at her. Joshua thought they looked almost like precious gems. After a few moments, the taller girl sighed, patting her sister but still keeping her guard up.

Seeing this, Miho turned to face the guard, and knelt down at his level. Joshua looked into her eyes, which were so shiny.

"Could you please explain about this Orb and the zombie outbreak?" she asked. Though she had her suspicions about the Orb, since she had seen it in her dreams, she wanted to know how it was connected with the zombies.

Joshua sighed.

"Alright," he finally replied. "This is going to be a long one. So, let's go inside, and discuss this."

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **11:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"OK," Joshua said, facing the crowd. After the incident, the girls wasted no time in loading up the rest of their supplies; the Leopon Team also fired up the engine, so that the train was getting ready to go. However, this time some of the girls wielded guns, with some pointing it at the lonely man.

Joshua found himself standing, his back to a white wall. The girls circled around him, like students towards a teacher. However, while some sat down to watch and listen, others held their distance. Some crossed their arms in defiance.

"Nonna!" Katyusha said. "Keep your gun trained on him!"

"Understood," she replied, holding the AK straight at the man. He gulped.

Miho, however, was next to him, patting him gently on his right shoulder. He smiled, and cleared his throat.

"Alright," he began. "Where should I begin-"

 _Grrrrr..._

"Oh boy," Joshua groaned, holding his stomach. "I forgot to eat."

"Have some," Kay said, handing him a triple decker burger, with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for that previous beating earlier; I snapped because of stress and all."

"T-thanks," he replied, grabbing it and devouring it. He wiped his mouth, and sighed.

"Yes," he finally said. "Let me tell you about the beginning..."

* * *

 **Wow, this was a lot more than I expected! I expected the girls to leave the warehouse sooner, but this proved to be too important to leave out! Anyway, tune in for the mystery of the Orb in the next chapter!**

 **I give a shout-out to aGuestfromGreece45 for helping me out with the scene of Miho and Maho confronting Joshua. I struggled to portray that scene, so thank you so much!**

 **As usual, please PM, review, like, follow etc. to make this story great! Thank you!**

 **Let me know how to improve the flow of chapters, detail issues etc.! Thank you again!**


	9. Chapter 9: Double Runaway

**More will be revealed...**

 **As usual, please PM, review, like, follow etc.**

 **This is perhaps one of the fastest uploads I've ever done. I finished this in about three days, which is quite fast.**

 **And speaking of fast, I hope to start on working on GDR stories after I update this story.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 9: Double Runaway**

 **Six hours ago...**

 **Japanese Senshadou Federation Commander Ship**

 **50 miles west of San Francisco, California, USA**

 **5:30 AM; July 9, 20XX**

"They WHAT?"

"Well, this is going to be interesting."

"Why are you so calm? They flew in a helicopter!"

"And left the safe abode and went east...into California."

"How could she do that?"

"Well, I guess she cared for them."

"A girl like her should be smart enough to stay away! Arrghh! How can I explain this to Shimada-san! I will be in a BIG trouble for this!"

"Calm down, Renta. It is _I_ who is going to be in trouble, not you."

"But they will blame me for this still, Shichiro!"

"What is going on here?"

"Uh-oh..."

* * *

"She left..." a mature, beautiful woman with light grayish-brown hair spoke, her pale skin appearing paler than usual. "I cannot believe that my daughter Alice left."

She vaguely resembled her daughter, especially with their similar hair color and the black ribbons that both wore. She stood, breathing deeply as she tried to reconcile with the terrible news. Renta and Shichiro were the two men on separate seats. Renta appeared like a professional businessman, except that he appeared as if going bankrupt. Shichiro, however, was calmer, like a mature, bald man who was ready to accept his fate.

"Shimada ma'am," said an American captain, tilting his naval cap. "I am afraid that all of our helicopters have somehow been sabotaged."

"What?" Renta roared. "How was that possible? The Trio?"

"Actually, no," said the captain. "Somehow, the little girl alone did it."

He took out a remote, and showed the display on a semi-futuristic screen. It revealed multiple security camera shots, all of them blank, except for three of them, showing the image of a little girl, holding a Boko doll with her left arm. In her right arm was a strange device.

"Jammer," a voice boomed. Everyone looked back; Renta shivered. Shiho came in, her tall, dominating figure a sight to behold. Her black jodhpur boots made strange tapping sounds on the hollow floor.

"Yes," the captain replied, sweating a little. "The little girl somehow got hold of one of our secret weapons; she apparently found one of our secret vaults by accident. Man, I should have checked that area more closely! When used right, it disrupts all electronics on a helicopter, so that it takes a day or so to even fix one."

"Not that it matters," Shiho continued in her deep, formidable tone. "What matters is _why_ she would even do that."

"Man..." a voice groaned faintly, as the main door opened. Everybody looked at the three women, looking injured and tired.

"You three!" Shichiro exclaimed, standing up in surprise. "Kanon, Remi, and Hibiki! What are you all doing here?"

"Director," they groaned. "We have something more to say about that matter..."

* * *

 **Two hours ago...**

"I can't sleep."

Alice lied on her bed, something clutching her. She held up her Boko doll, which looked similar to the one Miho had.

 _No_ , she realized. _It's not you who's clutching me._

"I...I..."

Tears flowed down, blurring her vision. Suddenly, she noticed what she thought was a ribbon-like wave of light magenta color, fainting shining in the darkness. However, her tears partially blinded her, so that she merely thought she was seeing things.

"Why do I want to go back?" she cried to herself. "It's dangerous there! And-and-but...my friends..."

She got up from her comfy bed, and turned the light on. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around her neatly tidied room. Everything looked fine, so fine. However, she walked back and forth, having no peace in her heart. The strange wave of light was gone, but she somehow felt that _something_ was there. Shaking herself, she kept pacing back and forth, holding her Boko doll tight.

"And that dream, for the third time in one night..."

 _Alice found herself in the middle of a black field, barren. She then saw two roads, one on each side. On her left was a narrow, brown road, with what looked like scratches and bloodstains on it. On her right was a very wide road, like a highway, and colored golden._

 _She instinctively walked to the wide road, but as she went, the road started to turn black and sticky. Alarmed, she stepped away, and went back to where she was. The black stains did not disappear, and she thought she saw something on it. A body of a woman of someone familiar..._

 _Disturbed, she then turned to face the bloodstained road. It disturbed her too, making her hold her doll very carefully._

 _"You feel_ **chained** _, aren't you?" a voice echoed._

 _Without thinking, she nodded._

 _"Enter through the narrow..." the voice trailed off. "...narrow the road that leads to life..."_

 _Scared but determined, Alice breathed and stepped on the road._

 _As she went, the stains started to disappear, and flowers grew where the blood was. Suddenly, she saw a circle, and gasped as she saw it facing the coast of California._

 _"Go back there," the voice said, and Alice saw her vision blurred by a ribbon-like wave of magenta color._

* * *

"And I woke up at that point," Alice mused. "Which means..."

She sighed.

"Mother," she said, despite being alone. "I am sorry, but..."

She dropped her Boko doll, and picked up a smaller one, and packed it into her purse. She then wrote on a small piece of paper.

"I am going back."

* * *

She opened her door carefully, looking around.

"Good," she whispered. "No one around."

Suddenly, she ducked, and crawled underneath a desk. A security camera slowly rotated on its axis, scanning for any signs of life. Finding none, it turned back around. Alice peeked at it, observing it cautiously.

"I have to find a way to deactivate those," she said to herself. "Or just...bring it."

She sneaked in the opposite direction, sometimes tiptoeing by, and sometimes running at full force, all to minimize her detection by the security cameras.

"Good thing those are old-type," she pondered. "But...where are the-oh..."

She glimpsed at a dome security camera, which looked like an orb stuck to the ceiling. Alice hid behind a wall, and eyed it.

"Nope," she realized. "Too hard to see whether its eye is moving or not."

She backed away, and leaned against her body at a wall.

"Hah..." she sighed. "What can-"

She stopped, feeling something odd. Turning around, she felt the spot with her left hand.

"A bump?" she wondered, and pushed it. A strange door opened up.

"Eh?" she blinked. "What in the world...A secret door? Hmm..."

She went inside, and found herself in a room that felt like a janitor's closet. Piles of buckets, mops, and other washing tools littered and stacked on the cramped floor.

"Eww..." Alice groaned. "Wait, if this is a secret room, why is it designed like a janitor's room?"

She analyzed every nook and cranny of the room. She found nothing of interest.

"Oh please!" she groaned. "I thought I was...wait."

She noticed something blink. A single blue light flashed, then disappeared. She reached for it, and grabbed what looked like a remote control, with an old piece of paper taped to it.

She took both up, and read the paper.

"Jammer," she read. "It can stop any electronics temporarily..."

She immediately got out, and touched the wall for any button to close it. The door closed, and she readied the device.

"OK," she said. "Here I go."

She pointed it at the dome camera, and clicked a button. The camera's green light flashed red, then turned off.

"Good!" she realized, and ran down the hallway, shooting at the cameras like a shooter in a game. All of the cameras shut down, and Alice finally felt free at last; she even bounced a little like a happy girl.

"Oh!" she stopped at the stairs. She stared down, and heard footsteps. She quickly read her paper.

"OK," she craned her head, watching the security guards. Two men were walking up, with their walkie-talkies. She aimed the jammer, and clicked another button.

"Arghh!" screams went out, as the jammer's signal attacked the men's devices. The walkie-talkies then fired out special pulses of electricity, which acted like a taser. The two grown-ups went down in a flash.

"Good!" she said, coming up the stairs. She then stopped, and went down to check the guards. All of them were breathing, but apparently knocked out cold.

"Strange," she said to herself. "This device was hidden; something this powerful should have been secured more properly."

After checking the guards, she gave them a small bow, and ran back up the stairs.

"Now," she checked the doors as she continued upwards. "Where is the helipad..."

* * *

"Shimada-chan~" three adult women called out, trying to sound cute and happy, as they approached Alice's room. All of them were wearing gray and black uniforms, which were the uniforms for their Senshadou Team. They were the famous Bermuda Trio, serving directly under Alice, who was their commander.

The women approached the door in a line, with the first having light brown hair, the second with long brown hair, and the last the shortest, sporting grayish or bluish hair and wearing glasses. The first woman checked her clothing.

"Shouldn't we have changed our clothes?" asked the first woman. Unlike the other two, she did not wear the undershirt or the tie that came with it; she kept sneezing as a result.

"Azumi," the long-haired woman groaned. "Wear more clothing, then."

"Pipe down you two," the bespectacled woman whispered to them. "Azumi, Megumi. We better try and surprise her, you know?"

"OK-OK," Azumi rolled her eyes. "But come on, Rumi. I don't think she's up right now."

"Then why are we doing this?" asked Megumi.

"And why did you follow us, then?" Rumi snickered back.

"Quiet!" Azumi raised her voice a little higher than expected.

"What?" the other two asked, then became quiet upon seeing the door.

It was open by a crack.

The women looked at each other, then charged in. Azumi leapt at anything in her way, while Megumi turned on the light. Rumi stayed at the door to block it.

"Bermuda Trio!" the three women roared. "Stay away from our cute-"

The three stopped cold. The room showed no signs of struggle. Everything was tidied up and neat. On the table, Azumi noticed a piece of paper.

"Girls!" she told them. All three huddled around the paper.

Their hands shook, as Azumi let the paper drop.

"Alice..." Azumi stammered.

"No way..." Megumi mumbled.

"This is crazy!" Rumi retorted. "She-she can't be serious!"

"Now that I think about it," Megumi said. "She mentioned about not wanting to leave her friends behind..."

"We've got to find her!" Azumi screamed, and tried to bolt out the door. Megumi and Rumi both restrained her.

"Wait!" Rumi cried out. "It's not whether we can find her; it's what to _do_ next..."

"Wait a minute," the others began, their faces paling. "Are you saying..."

"Well," Rumi fidgeted. "Didn't...we?"

"We have already decided, didn't we?" Azumi asked.

"Well..yeah..." Megumi said reluctantly.

"Seriously, for Alice dearie..." Rumi stammered.

* * *

Alice panted badly, as she managed to use her jammer to immobilize five very tall, ominous security guards, who were standing at the helipad door. Slumped down on the floor, they wore a variety of electronics attached to their heads, which Alice took advantage of. However, two of them struggled to get up, frightening Alice into unleashing her jammer. She quickly took their pulses, to make sure that they were alive.

She sighed in relief.

"Man," she panted. "I don't want to go that far again."

She tiptoed over the men, and opened the door. A single helicopter stood silent on the single pad on the ship.

"That's not from the Japanese Senshadou Federation," she mumbled. "An MH-60S, one of the latest variations of the Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk. Americans own this thing, and it's called the 'Knighthawk.' Ah, now that I remember, two of the guards I incapacitated were Americans...No wonder they were harder to take down. Man, Americans sure seem tougher than Japanese."

She then searched the pouches of the men, then left them alone, feeling guilty that she would be stealing.

"No-no," she decided. "I am going to find where they hide the keys..."

She walked over, looking around outside. She glimpsed a room, which she suspected to be a guard house. She tiptoed over, and found the door open.

"Huh?" she wondered, and went in. She checked around, looking for where the keys were held. She found a pile, but had a feeling that the key was not there.

"Why do I feel..." she began, but ducked down as somebody tried to bind her. She then dodged over two more figures, all of whom collapsed together as Alice ran out. Panting, she tried to open the door back in, but found it locked. She then ran to the sole helicopter, and turned around.

"Vice commanders," she managed to say out.

"Shimada-chan!" the three women panted. Megumi and Rumi both dusted their hats, and put them back on.

"I know you want to go back," Azumi said. "But it's too dangerous, you know!"

Alice held her purse tight.

"How did you find me so fast?" she asked them with a serious tone. "I even removed the tracking device from my uniform too."

"You told us how worried you were about Miho and the others," said Azumi. "We suspected what you would do next."

"But your mother!" Megumi exclaimed. "How would she and others feel?"

"I know," Alice said. "But I had a dream..."

"A dream?" asked the three.

Alice quickly told them her dream. It felt like minutes, but after finishing, Alice felt like only a few seconds passed by...

* * *

"But a dream is just a dream!" Azumi tried to convince her commander, after she finished her story.

"And we're here to keep you safe!" Megumi cried.

"I don't want to be in trouble either!" Rumi yelled. "And I don't want to lose a cutie like you."

"If I don't," said Alice. "I now realize it now. If I don't leave, you all will die."

Silence.

"W-wai-wait-what?" the three gasped.

"Remember I told you the dream?" Alice explained. "I told you that I saw someone on the golden road? Now that I remember, I wondered why it happened three times in one night."

"And?" the women asked her, shaking.

"I saw each of you die," she finally said, shaking. "If I don't return to California, you all will die."

"Ho-how is that possible?" Azumi roared.

"Are you kidding?" asked Megumi.

"I think you're losing it!" Rumi declared, approaching her. Alice stepped back.

"Please," Azumi said, approaching her. "Ca-can't you...well...let's just get to the point."

"Are you serious?" asked the others.

Azumi sighed.

"Shimada Alice-chan," she said to Alice. "You know, even before you told us the dream, we decided that...you are our Commander. We will guard you, watch you, and follow you with our lives."

Alice blinked, her mouth a little open.

"Yeah.." Megumi said, approaching her so that all three women were lined up. "When we read that, we've always known that you wanted friends, and we've been wanting to know how...it feels like to be alone. Being alone in a school where everybody else was grown-up, and you being alone..."

"You kept talking about not only Boko," Rumi said. "But also Miho a lot. We got jealous, of course. Then, we realize that you really DO feel alone. We remember you..."

"Crying the whole time," Azumi said, fidgeting. "Admittedly, I feel guilty of not telling the other military personnel to save everyone."

"That's...that's not your fault," Alice said, trying to not sniffle. "You all heard me convincing them, but they won't listen. They said about 'not having enough personnel' to save everyone or something. I was so mad..."

Alice then could not hold it. She cried into her purse.

"Well," Azumi said. "We-we're not sure about us dying in your dreams, but we decide that...we will stick by your decision, no matter what."

"That way," Megumi said, smiling. "You won't be blamed for the escape."

"And we'll take the blame," Rumi declared, wiping away her tears.

"You all..." said Alice, sniffing. "You're real-really my...friends."

"YYYEEEEAAHHHH!"

Alice blinked in surprise, as the three women cried out in unison, hugging each other.

"Finally!" Azumi roared.

"We're in!" Megumi screamed.

"In the friend zone!" Rumi yelled, giving a "yes" posture again and again.

All three quickly cooled down, when they saw their commander's puzzled face.

"Well...then," Alice said. "Shall we go?"

"Wait!" Rumi said. "None of us know how to drive the Knighthawk! It's an American helicopter!"

"I know it," Megumi said. "Remember I went to Saunders before? This is going to be a piece of cake."

"Oh yeah," the others remembered, nodding.

"Thanks, you all," Alice said, as a few drops of tears ran down her cheeks.

"Alice!" three voices suddenly roared from the closed door.

All four turned around.

"Uh-oh," said Azumi.

"Looks like they found us," replied Megumi, shaking her shoulders.

"Let's do it," Rumi blinked at Alice, throwing her a key. "Keep that helicopter key safe. We'll deal with them..."

* * *

"...and we got knocked out," said Kanon, representing all of the judges. "Somebody took each of us, and ambushed us. We glimpsed Alice running to our left, before we passed out."

"The Bermuda Trio," murmured Shichiro. "Alice sure is charismatic enough to convince them to join her."

"But that's ridiculous!" Chiyo shook, standing up. Shiho went by her side, making her sit down to calm her.

"Hang in there, friend," Shiho said in her usual cool voice. "Director and captain, can we send any helicopter to find the Seahawk? Maybe from your own command center?"

"Unfortunately," the captain fidgeted. "The little girl Alice found a grid somewhere in the guard room, and apparently found a few lines that directly link to our main communication network. She somehow figured out that one of them allows me to warn my center, so I cannot contact them soon enough."

"And furthermore," Renta ranted. "Our ship was one of the fortunate ones that did NOT sink! We got reports of some of the ships mysteriously exploding for no good reason! And the planes too! That's why they shut down all airports AND seaports!"

"And told us to stay put for now," said Shichiro.

"So then," the captain said. "Guess we have to stir our ship back, but keep at a safe distance, then."

"And report to the US military about our VIP," Shichiro added in, nodding to Chiyo as she tried to restrain her tears.

"That's the best choice," said the captain. "I can do that; she did not disrupt that part of our grid."

"So," began Renta. "What is the status-"

"Captain!" one of the sailors ran out, panting.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We got a report!" the sailor stammered. "The-the other carrier-no, the-the-the other..."

"Calm down!" the captain told him, grabbing him and gently putting him in a seat. "Who's coming?"

"Those ships..." he stuttered, brining out a piece of paper. The captain took it, and read it. His face paled.

"Both of them?!" he retorted, dropping the paper to the ground. "From Japan AND from the US..."

"Ha..." Shichiro sighed, but calmly fanned his white paper fan. "Guess carriers from both sides are in hot waters right now, eh?"

* * *

 **Fortmart Warehouse**

 **Between Los Santos and Los Angeles, California, USA**

 **11:30AM; July 9, 20XX**

"You are in hot water right now, Mr. Joshua Cracker," Maho warned him in a stern, ominous voice. "So, make it quick."

She cracked her knuckles, and Erika emulated her from behind.

"OK-OK!" Joshua breathed, trying to stay calm.

"Train is moving in about 30 minutes!" Nakajima called out, as she came in with her whole team.

"Then we move by noon," declared Maho. "So, who's guarding the train?"

"The two animals," said Hoshino. "By the way, we haven't even given them names yet."

"That's not the point here right now," said Maho, raising her gun and turning to face Joshua. "Now, do it."

"OK!" Joshua sighed. "Let me tell you about the very, VERY beginning of it all: the Orb."

"Go on," Miho told him in a soft voice, which soothed him. She sat next to him, which Joshua was glad.

"The Orb," he began, clearing his throat. "Is a mysterious artifact we found a long time ago. Let me warn you that this is what I learned from the only scientist who survived that: Doctor Rudolf."

"Who is he?" Miho asked.

"He was one of the scientists," Joshua replied. "Before we got split up, he shared with me and my other guard and friend Caleb as much as he could about the apocalypse. Unlike Caleb, I wrote down as much as possible."

He pulled out from another patch of fake skin a large pile of paperwork.

"He sure has a lot of fake skin," mumbled Kinuyo nervously, and those around her agreed.

Rummaging through, he tidied up the notes and cleared his throat.

"OK," he said. "Let's begin, starting at Parkfield, California..."

* * *

Flashback

* * *

 **Parkfield, California, USA**

 **10:00 AM; July 8, 20XX**

"Mr. Rudolf," said Joshua. "I will drive the car, on the condition that you tell us everything."

Joshua and Caleb, the two surviving guards, glared at their scientist, as they managed to get out of the building. Alarms sounded all around the field, as the three men rushed towards a parking lot nearby.

"**** it!" Caleb roared. "All of the cars are sabotaged! Who did this?"

"Except for one!" Joshua pointed at a military jeep. "But Rudolf, remember your promise!"

"OK-OK!" Rudolf exclaimed, panting (he was not as physically fit as the guards). "Even before you said that, I intend to tell you all everything!"

"Then get on!" Caleb roared, as they filed into the green jeep. Caleb then drove the jeep, while Joshua sat by Rudolf, gun in hand. The jeep revved, then roared into gear as it approached the gate, which was closed.

"Hang on!" Caleb roared, accelerating.

He rammed through the metal door, since it was jammed shut. Despite the broken headlights, the jeep was able to bulldoze through the barrier. As they sped off, Rudolf and Joshua watched behind.

All ten mutilated zombies went up the stairs, shielding their hands at the sudden glare. Joshua shook his head, horrified.

"My poor friends..." he moaned. "Now, they are no more."

The ten former guards all had partially tattered uniforms, which waved in the dry wind. They hissed, and growled for any sign of life to attack.

Suddenly, one of them spotted the jeep, and screamed. All ten then followed it.

"Faster!" Rudolf exclaimed. "How smart are they?!"

"Calm down!" Caleb roared. "I am trying!"

They kept coming down the hill, with the zombies suddenly speeding behind. The men passed by a sign that read:

WELCOME TO PARKFIELD, ON TOP OF THE FAMOUS SAN ANDREAS FAULT! DON'T WORRY; WE ARE SAFE AS SOUND.

"Safe as sound, yeah right," remarked Joshua sarcastically. Caleb snorted in agreement.

"Go down that road!" Rudolf said, pointing at an apparently dense area of vegetation.

"That? It's blocked!" Caleb objected. Joshua looked at where Rudolf was point at, which looked nothing but a giant mass of weeds and trees.

"It's camouflaged," explained Rudolf curtly.

"What?" Joshua cried out in alarm.

Caleb gulped, and on impulse dived into the road. Sure enough, the jeep went through what appeared to be a passable wall of weird liquid-like matter, as if going through a bubble wall. The jeep stopped, right next to a strange tower-like device and a clearing.

"That tower," said Rudolf. "Is one of our inventions: a device that creates this camouflage wall."

The three men then heard a roar, and turned to look.

The zombies stampeded down to where they last saw the jeep. Confused, the zombies just followed the usual road down to the little village below.

"Good!" Caleb said, as he and the others went out. "We lost them."

"Thanks to this device!" Joshua said, touching the device. "Man, this is great for real-life combat!"

"Before we even do anything," said Rudolf. "I will tell you everything."

"You have to!" both guards roared, both taking out their guns. While Caleb pointed it straight at him, Joshua lowered his to the ground.

"But in return," said Rudolf. "Once you know the whole truth, the US government will go after you."

"What?" the two guards reacted, aghast.

"How will you," asked Joshua. "Telling us about this will get us in trouble?"

"They don't know yet," Rudolf replied. "But now, I am afraid they know now."

"W-what are you talking about?" Caleb yelled, holding his gun unsteadily. He was shaking.

"Shush!" Joshua grabbed his friend, calming him down. "Rudolf, you promised to make sure tell us everything, or else."

"OK-OK!" he replied, breathing. "Here I go..."

* * *

"Oh," Maho noted. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright," said Joshua. "Your reaction is completely normal. Think about it; somebody knows the answer to the apocalypse, the horrible truth, and that person hid it from you. Obviously, anger is a common response."

"Go on," Maho said, this time softer.

Miho smiled, and nodded at him.

* * *

"We call it by multiple names," said Rudolf. "The Orb is known as the Light Magenta Orb, Magenta Orb, the LMO, and other names. My personal favorite is the Reviver."

"Reviver, eh?" asked Caleb. "So, that thing can revive the dead?"

"Correct," Rudolf replied.

"But how?" asked Joshua. "Reviving is scientifically impossible!"

"Anything that gets you power," said Rudolf. "Is fair game. You heard of the Nazis?"

"Yeah?" they answered.

"Adolf Hitler was not very enthusiastic about Christians," he replied. "However, since the churches at that time had a lot of power, he and his Nazis were willing to ally with them. The Nazis were more interested in power, than in actual morality."

"And why do you say that?" asked Joshua.

"Like the Nazis," Rudolf said. "The US government is officially secular, but anything that gives you power, it will go after. Even something as mythical as the Orb."

"So, the Orb was hidden from the government?" inferred Joshua.

"Very correct," Rudolf replied. "To be honest, the secret company that we worked for, do you know who it was?"

"Nope," said the two guards.

"Project Aqaba Management Center," said Rudolf. "What you've known as PAMC."

"PAMC," said Joshua. "To be honest, that sounds lame."

"Not as weird as Umbrella," retorted Rudolf. "Organizations these days make up all kinds of lame names."

"Why did they hide that from us?" asked Caleb. "All these secrets about the Orb, you PAMC jerk."

"It's to be safe from the prying eyes of the government," said Rudolf, sighing. "Ever since Snowden managed to expose the government, the US government had gotten a little...hysterical. It is going a little too much of a Big Brother."

* * *

"Big Brother?" the girls asked.

"Oh!" Kay and Darjeeling both replied, raising their hands in unison. Both then stared at each other, then put their hands down in embarrassment. Kay cleared her throat.

"Darjeeling and I read that book," said Kay. "Big Brother is a villain from _Nineteen Eighty-Four_ , which is essentially a totalitarian government that keeps watching you, depriving you of freedom."

"Correct," he said. "You thought Renta was bad enough, trying to shut down your school, Oarai."

The girls from Oarai shivered.

"Now," he continued. "Imagine that same person, but watching ALL of you, and preventing you from freely making your own decisions."

Most of the girls, especially those of Oarai, shivered.

"Back to the point," Joshua continued...

* * *

"Talk about the Orb," said Joshua. "We know enough of government trash, so continue."

"OK," Rudolf continued...

 _Around the 1950's, before the US government got officially hysterical about cover-ups and all, a secret, private company that would become the Project Aqaba was just doing its own archaeological research. It was basically a no-name company, interested in finding unusual artifacts from around the world. We've collected in particular one strange artifact._

"What is that?" the two guards asked.

"You heard of Antikythera Mechanism?" asked Rudolf.

"I did!" Joshua replied, while Caleb tilted his head in confusion.

"We found another one," said Rudolf. "Something we hid from the public, because it actually was...working like a real machine."

"The Antikythera had a relative?" asked Joshua.

"This one, however," said Rudolf. "Was created by a strange group of Greek-speaking Jews called the Watchers."

* * *

"The Watchers!" cried out Miho. Everybody looked at her.

"Ah, you've seen them, eh?" asked Joshua. "I've heard rumors that the Watchers have strange powers, including the ability to contact with people in the future."

"Which happened to me," said Miho.

"Eh?" everybody, including Joshua, asked.

"I met someone named Watcher Convent," said Miho, then stopped when she saw Joshua's face pale.

"You've..." stammered Joshua. "You've met one of my distant relatives. Official reports say that he was killed by a cave-in in a tomb, but I was there at that same tomb once, and there was no sign of a cave-in."

"Who was he?" Miho asked, nervous.

"He was known as Moses Mendelsohn," said Joshua. "But he and his Watchers were seen as traitors by both Jews and non-Jews alike. Jews hated him and his kind, because they were Jews who converted to Christianity. And non-Jews hated them, because they were Jews."

"And he had a strange necklace too," Joshua continued. "The secret company that apparently murdered him wanted that necklace, but could not find it."

Miho felt like wanting to show the necklace, but felt a strange urge to not show it. She kept listening.

"So yeah," Joshua said, sighing. "Let me continue..."

* * *

"The Watchers?" asked the guards.

"The Watchers were advanced beyond their times," he explained. "They believe that the Almighty God does not leave humans vulnerable. They have the mysterious ability to craft items that can contain even the powers of God. They created the likes of the Orb, in order to show to the world that God exists."

"Wait a minute!" Caleb interjected. "There are other objects like the Orb?"

"Fortunately, no," said Rudolf. "The Watchers started to realize the errors of their ways, and destroyed all of the artifacts. Remember the computer-like artifact earlier? We tried to save it, but one of the Watchers successfully put some kind of a 'curse' on it, forcing us to leave it and let it explode. Fortunately, those annoying Watchers did not destroy the documents talking about making them, since the artifacts can only be created through prayer to God. That's what I heard. They destroyed the artifacts, as a sign of penance; however, one of them somehow was spared."

"The Orb," said the guards.

"Exactly," Rudolf said. "The Orb somehow could not be destroyed, so the Watchers believe that it has a greater purpose. They hid it in the Gulf of Aqaba, by driving a caravan of wagons drawn by donkeys into it."

"Why donkeys?" asked Caleb.

"Donkeys were less valued than horses," Rudolf explained. "And the Watchers knew that well; everybody cares about horses, but few care for donkeys, especially the very stubborn kinds. After that, under the guise of archaeologists, Watchers like the Watcher Convent pretended to find new discoveries, when they really were ensuring that nobody will find it."

"Unfortunately, their plans ultimately failed. Remember the secret company I mentioned? That company acquired a traitor, a former Watcher who knew a little too much. Once the truth was discovered, the company risked everything it had to find it. Eventually, it split its forces into two: one to search the Red Sea, and the other to search the Gulf of Aqaba."

"Once they found the Orb, it revived a variety of valuable animals. You may not realize it, but the PAMC used that Orb to secretly revive extinct species, such as the Indonesian coelacanth. They also used it to accelerate genetic engineering, which was how Dolly the Sheep was created. However, they did not want to do it all the time, in order to maintain secrecy. Unfortunately, the company got greedy, and pressured the Orb to revive more and more, and faster than it could do so."

"And the apocalypse happened," said Joshua.

"Exactly," Rudolf replied. "Before then, the Orb started to try to break free. The PAMC realized that the Orb somehow had a mind of its own, so they restrained it using pacifier beams. The beams were special weapons that are imbued with some energy from the Orb; they were used to keep the Orb in place. The Orb could not do anything about it, as long as the beams were in place. However, the constant instability of the Orb meant that the beams had to be manually activated, which me and other scientists did."

"Once Henry went mad with power, and got bitten by his mutant pet," Rudolf said. "Everything went ballistic."

"And the apocalypse," said Joshua. "Was its way of avenging against humanity."

"Correct," said Rudolf. "But you may not know this, but the Orb spoke to me once."

"Hmm?" the guards asked.

"While working, I heard a voice. I thought I was dreaming, but I turned around to face the Orb. It suddenly spoke again":

 _You know not what you deal with here_

 _But see what I will do now to tear_

 _I will make suffer the greedy_

 _But spare the truly needy:_

 _We will see and chill_

 _When they shall rise and till_

 _On this very dawn of day_

 _Orb shall rise and say:_

 _Cursed be those who die to despair_

 _Corpse shall they be beyond repair._

 _But say! There is salvation_

 _By the by there is redemption._

 _Chosen shall rise and fight_

 _Curing the land with the light_

 _And the living shall rise to right_

 _To turn away the undead blight._

* * *

End of Flashback

* * *

"And before Rudolf could finish his last few words," said Joshua. "Three zombies suddenly appeared, unlike anything I've met before. One ran at me, fire breathing out of its mouth. The other ran after Caleb, wielding what looked like a frozen spear in its left hand."

Joshua was oblivious to the girls' shocked reaction, especially at the part of the strange poem; he was too focused on finishing his story to notice their wide eyes.

"And Rudolf threw the case at me," he said, his eyes downcast. "Telling me to take off, before distracting the last zombie that was throwing electric volts all around. They all split up, and I was alone, forced to deal with the fire-breathing zombie. I was stunned, then reacted by jumping into the jeep. The zombie jumped in, but I drove fast enough to shake it off. It kept chasing me, until I was out of sight. I then drove all the way down south, to Los Angeles, which was the only place other than Parkfield I've known. And then, I saw it in chaos, and I was forced to walk around, after the jeep crashed."

"How did it crash?" asked Yukari.

"I...got distracted by my thoughts," replied Joshua, looking ashamed of himself. "And hit a pole."

Miho giggled nervously, remembering how she hit a pole once while going to school.

"I kept wandering and wandering, until I sat down at a well-concealed shack, as the zombies continued the onslaught. Inside, I decided to check the case. Nothing. There was nothing, except for a pile of paper and a strange device that looked like a Rubik's cube. I took it up, and I realized what it was."

He then took something out of his pocket. It suddenly grew in size. The cubic device appeared jet-black, except for silver-colored edges. For some reason, all of the girls present felt some sort of a pulling sensation towards it.

"According to a note inside," he explained. "This is the Watching Cube, and it can shrink at will. It detects those who have the power of the Orb."

The girls paled.

"What?" he asked, blinking. "Wait...you all...OK."

He sighed, getting up.

"This Cube detects who you are," he said. "And what you can do. Miho, since the talking animals seem so intent on calling you 'Chosen,' take this."

He threw it at Miho, who caught it with her bare right hand. Suddenly, the cube shook and levitated on its own. It moved back and forth, the squares rotating around like a real Rubik's cube. Its color also changed; the squares became light magenta, while the lines inside turned golden. Suddenly,, it slammed into a nearby wall, and unfolded into a widescreen, and the girls gasped.

It showed a horde of zombies, shambling towards a helpless group of living humans. Suddenly, a wide slash of golden light cleaved through the whole horde; most of the zombies present ripped in half, and disintegrated into ash-like remains. The few remaining zombies tried to run away, only to be vaporized by a giant pillar of golden light, which crashed down upon them. The screen then switched to zoom into a feminine figure, wielding something that was flashing golden and magenta.

"Brum-brum-brum-brum-brrrr!" the familiar sound echoed out of the screen.

"Mi-Mi..." the girls tried to react, gaping and gawking.

Miho stared, jaws wide open.

"It shows who you are going to be," said Joshua. "It talked about the Chosen, who will rise to challenge the Orb. I guess you are going to be a cool one, and a good one, Miho."

"W-wait," began Miho "What do you-"

The whole warehouse started to shake, cutting her off.

"Get out!" Joshua, Miho, and Maho all screamed out, and everybody fled out. The earthquake intensified, as the girls started to run towards the train. Some of them stumbled, and others stopped to pick them up. The warehouse behind started to fall apart, with some debris from the ceiling collapsing down to the floor. Miho glimpsed a large section of the ceiling crashing down to where the whole group was.

Everybody managed to climb up the train, except Joshua.

"Come with us!" Miho said, reaching out her hand.

He shook his head, and handed her a pile of paper.

"Read them," he replied. "Because..."

Everybody except Joshua gasped, as a highway suddenly appeared out of nowhere from behind the warehouse.

"The Orb sure loves to make its own tricks," said Joshua, cracking his knuckles. "Rudolf also told me that in the past, the Orb likes to play 'dirty' tricks. You girls go ahead. I will distract them as much as possible."

"Here then!" Maho cried out, throwing him an M1 carbine and a few cartridges of ammo. He clicked it, and smiled.

"Farewell," he replied, and ran towards the far right of the parking lot. He then aimed his gun at two hordes that suddenly appeared.

"How did they suddenly appear?" roared Katyusha.

"A human and a zombie horde?" noted Assam, looking through a binocular. She suddenly went silent, pale.

"You OK, Assam-sama?" asked Rosehip.

"And they're..." she gasped. "...eating each other."

All of the girls who heard her shivered. They whispered what they heard, causing everybody else to tremble.

"They are," Joshua yelled, as the train started to move. "And good luck out there, Chosen! You girls try and be Chosen, and fight the good fight! Thank you for surviving! Don't worry about me! May our God be with you!"

With that, he roared and charged at the hordes coming in. He fired at them, forcing them to focus on him. As the train moved, a few humans and zombies noticed the moving train, and tried to go after it.

"Guns!" Noriko cried out.

"Save the ammo!" Maho roared. "Use something long to keep them away!"

The girls instinctively took out long wooden sticks from the intermodal container behind the locomotive, and used them to push the humans and zombies alike away.

"Who's the zombie and who's human?" cried out Azusa, shaking.

"Don't know!" Maho roared in response. "Just push them away! Don't kill them!"

The train sped and sped, and the girls kept pushing them away.

"Fresh meat," one of them grunted.

"Let me be with you," a young-looking man apparently asked, but he spoke more like a zombie than a living being.

"Get away!" Erika roared, stabbing him with a long stick. The man did not sustain any injury, but fell away, and rose to grab a zombie, and commenced to bite it...

"This is crazy," Miho mumbled, as the train sped fast enough so that the hordes could not catch up. She and others watched, as the warehouse continued to collapse. Humans and zombies alike continued to tear at each other, and the lone shot of the carbine was finally silenced in the distance.

"Farewell," Miho saluted Joshua, and others followed suit.

The train continued to roar by, as the warehouse disappeared from their views. The girls then sat down or stood still, the fresh, mountain air rejuvenating them. Forests after forests of green beauty stood in contrast to the burning scenes in the suburbs and the cities nearby.

Mika, Aki, and Mikko all sat by, watching the view silently, with Mika playing on her kantele, albeit with a slight nervous air.

Kinuyo and her five comrades all sat, knelt, or stood on their own tank, gulping and crying a little.

"Humans eat zombies?" Haru Tamada blurted out, shaking her head in disbelief. "Zombies, and now this?"

All of the Kuromorimine girls except Maho stood together, still as stone, but with tears coming out.

"That was..." Erika tried to say something, but trailed off in tears.

The Pravda girls all sat, with Katyusha still piggybacking on top of Nonna. They silently shook.

"Magical zombies," Nina said, shaking. "And now, zombie-eating humans?!"

The group of Anzio girls somehow managed to keep a portable stove running, cooking food on it. In reality, they were cooking to relieve their own stress.

"Pasta please," whispered Anchovy. "I am not eating meat for now, not when I saw a _human_ bite a zombie..."

All of the Saunders girls wept, seeing what little they saw of America falling apart.

"Land of the free," remarked Naomi in a low voice. "Now, Land of the undead."

The five girls of the St. Gloriana stood by silently, not drinking their teacups.

"It's bad," Rosehip summed it up.

All of the Oarai teams sat by their own tanks, with various responses of silent stares, cries, gulps, and even a few bangings on their own tanks with their bare fists. Miho stood on top of the cargo container, watching the views all around with Maho by her side. The two sisters held each other tight.

"W-what are we going to?" a nervous voice asked. The two sisters looked down. Saki spoke, who apparently cried. She sniffed, expressing a rare show of emotion.

Maho continued to stare, letting Miho answer.

"We're on our own," she sighed, as the train sped through the clear air. "Again."

* * *

 **It's the zombie apocalypse, what can you expect?**

 **Once again, the girls are on the run. They thought that the warehouse was safe, with no roads leading up to it. They were wrong; it was a good thing that the railroad was unaffected by the earthquake.**

 **Once again, PM, review, like, follow etc. I appreciate every advice.**

 **Update: Let me know if I need more details!**

 **Tune in to next time!**


	10. Chapter 10: Beginning of the End

**If all goes well, this is it. If you are not sure what's going to happen, read the whole way through. This chapter is where the story will take a direction that many will be surprised at. This may not be an ideal choice, but I decide that this is it...**

 **Everyone, this is it.**

 **I warn you: this is the LONGEST chapter so far in the history of this story! There is a good reason why I did so...**

 **This is the main story of the GDR series, a series that I am proud of, and hope to finish.**

 **This is where the story will take a direction that many of you might be surprised at. This is it; let's cross the Rubicon.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 10: Beginning of the End**

 **Riding on the train towards Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:30 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Another day again," Miho sighed in her meeting.

The sun was now blazing, as the lone train sped through vast tracts of forests and suburban areas. The contrast between the peaceful trees and the burning houses was startling; birds chirped and flew in the forests, while the fires and screams continued to echo through the suburbs.

Everything happened so fast. The girls got the shock of their lives...twice.

"Joshua," said Miho. "And the Orb."

The others present nodded in silent agreement. It was a meeting of leaders; Miho and Maho were the ones who decided to have it. Anzu, Darjeeling, Kay, Anchovy, Katyusha (without riding on Nonna this time), Kinuyo, and Mika all congregated inside what little space the cargo container had. Everybody else, even the vice commanders, was given some free time to relieve themselves.

Miho sighed again, as everybody onboard the train tried to comprehend what just happened, even though outside of the meeting.

"It's been an hour ago..." mumbled Miho, holding her Boko doll tight.

"And I can't believe," Katyusha sniffed, trying to wipe away her tears. "That he just went out like that!"

"He did it to protect us," said Maho, eyes down. "Noble sacrifice."

Anzu said nothing, but nodded in agreement. She opened her bag of sweet potato chips, and munched on them.

"Salty but sweet," she commented. "Like Joshua."

"Maybe he was atoning for everything that happened," Kay suggested, sighing. "After all, he did _know_ a lot about what's happening."

"Anyway," Maho cleared her throat, holding the strange object up. "He entrusted this cube to us. Right, Miho?"

Miho nodded silently, staring at the cube. The cube was now glowing two colors; the squares were magenta, while the gaps between them were golden.

"Good," Maho continued. "So, this must be a key, or maybe _one_ of the keys, to stopping the apocalypse."

The girls stared at the cube, which continued to glow. For some reason, it radiated out an aura of tranquility, that made everyone sigh in relief.

"But," Kinuyo said, putting her hand on Miho's left shoulder, making her turn around. "What are we going to do next?"

The two girls, a Nishizumi and a Nishi, looked at each other, as if trying to read each other's mind.

"Guess we have to use the cube somehow," the two said in unison; Miho smiled awkwardly, while Kinuyo shrugged.

"But how are we _exactly_ supposed to do that?" Anchovy shouted, waving her black crop around and almost hitting Katyusha with it. "Sorry, my bad; I am just stressed."

"You're not the only one," Mika whispered, holding her kantele but not playing it.

"But she's right!" Katyusha yelled. "We're just a bunch of Japanese high school girls, in the middle of this...ZOMBIE apocalypse, for crying out loud!"

She stomped her foot, sobbing all the while. She wiped her tears again with her left arm.

"How can things get any more screwed up now?!" she retorted.

"I second that!" Anchovy replied, waving her crop very violently. Darjeeling lightly touched the frantic girl on the right shoulder with her left arm; she calmed down greatly, sighing.

"Thanks," she replied. Darjeeling silently smiled in response.

"You're not the only ones," Saori walked towards them, a metal tray in hand. "Drinks?"

The leaders thanked her, as they grabbed for the drinks. Maho got an apple juice box, while Darjeeling got her usual teacup. Kay got a large drink of iced coffee that looked more like a beer mug, due to its sheer size. Anchovy sipped on her cup of gazpacho, while Katyusha gulped down her quart of milk. Kinuyo drank her cup of Japanese tea quietly, while Mika sipped on her small cup of latte. Miho, however, got the most interesting drink.

"What is this?" she asked, looking intently at the light magenta smoothie.

"Smoothie," Saori replied, introducing the thick drink. "A mixture of frozen bananas, fresh strawberries, frozen blueberries, vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, plain Greek yogurt, pineapple juice, fresh mangoes, frozen cherries, fresh peaches, grape juice, and pomegranate juice."

Everybody stared at the long description. Miho giggled.

"You don't have to go overboard," said Miho, as she sipped through the straw. "Hmm! This is great!"

"Hey," Saori shrugged. "It was Maho's idea to do so, since you really helped us to pull through."

"No-no," Miho waved off. "We are ALL in this together."

"So anyway!" Saori cleared her throat to get attention. "My friends and I have been wondering this: what about the police and the government? They're going to help us, right?"

The leaders stared at her, then turned their heads to look at Kay, who was from an American-themed school. She shook her head in response, sadness etched in her face.

"No," she replied. "The police in America are different from ours. The Feds will no doubt quarantine this entire state."

"But what about the strange wall of rock?" asked Kinuyo. Everybody now recalled that strange news back in Los Angeles.

"That is only a part of the problem," replied Kay. "The bigger problem is...they might shoot us on sight."

Silence filled the air, despite the loud noise of the train tracks. The leaders sighed, and Saori nodded silently, before slowly walking away.

"If they find out about this 'Chosen One' stuff," Kay continued. "And this is based on my honest opinion, from what I know about how the American agents deal with things like this: the CIA, the one that I think will be the most interested in this 'Chosen One' thing, may capture us..."

She gulped, sweats pouring down from her forehead. She coughed before continuing.

"...and may conduct experiments upon us," she finished her sentence with some hesitance.

All of the girls present shuddered; even Maho flinched at the answer.

"So we're all alone out here?" Momo wailed, coming out from hiding. She and Yuzu were eavesdropping on the conversation, upon overhearing about the "Feds."

"We're finished, then!" she stomped her feet, crying.

"Pipe down," Anzu casually grunted, as Yuzu tried to comfort her. She turned her eyes to look at Kay and Darjeeling.

"Both of your countries," Anzu said. "Are known for their apocalyptic movies and games of sort, especially of the zombie kind. Anything you want to share?"

"There will always be someone out to get us," Darjeeling explained. "If the zombies do not get us, then the bandits will. Other survivors and even the government may get involved."

"At the same time," Kay chimed in, smiling. "There will be good people who will help us. Bands of normal and heroic people alike who will understand what we are going through."

"Why do we have to go through this mayhem!" a voice roared. The leaders looked up, as Karina and her Rabbit Team girls peeked behind the Panzer IV. All six girls were shedding a number of tears.

"I want to go home!" Yuuki yelled, tears streaming through her cheeks. "And see my parents again!"

Nonna and Klara both suddenly appeared from behind. The Rabbit Team girls, however, were sobbing too much to notice. Nonna crossed her arms.

"We _all_ want to go home," she replied, as Azusa and Aya both managed to wipe away their tears to look up. "But we cannot. We have to end this first, once and for all."

"The Orb," Miho whispered. "That's what caused all of this...apocalypse."

The girls stared at the Watching Cube, as it vibrated a little. The rest of the girls started to slowly congregate around the leaders; even the Leopon Team, which managed the locomotive, joined in from above the cargo container.

"And the Chosen seem to be the answer to fixing this madness," Maho mused.

"We must harness the power of the Chosen!" Kinuyo declared, saluting Miho. "And Miho-dono especially MUST be it! Even the animals have taken a liking of you."

"The animals," Anchovy fidgeted.

" _Talking_ animals," Katyusha emphasized. "Admittedly, I still haven't gotten used to them yet..."

"Speaking of them," said Mika. "Where are they?"

The girls looked around. They remembered that the animals were with them, because they were injured. Apparently, they disappeared again.

"Look..." Mako said lazily, pointing her right finger up, and leaned a little too far back. Hana caught her just in time, as the girls observed.

The girls noticed a giant silhouette of an eagle flying in the distance, then it swooped down to an area where three buildings were burning. A distant roar also echoed nearby.

"The animals have their purpose," Miho said, and the other girls agreed.

Kinuyo saluted at the direction of the two animals, and Miho smiled and emulated her.

"While they are good allies for us," Darjeeling said. "We need more support. Specifically, we need those who know the whole area of California. Maybe even Joshua's fellow workers and peers."

"If they're alive, that is," Mika whispered. "I heard that they were Caleb and Rudolf."

"Do we have to look for that Orb thing?" Katyusha, who somehow ended up on Nonna's shoulders, swinging back and forth. "This is SO confusing..."

"That will make things easier for us," Darjeeling interjected, sipping her tea and turning to her teammates, who joined in to hear. "What do you think?"

"We have to avoid AND slay them zombies!" Rosehip yelped, almost spilling her tea. Her teammates and even some of the girls outside of St. Gloriana shook their heads in disbelief.

"At the end of the day," Orange Pekoe spoke with some restraint. "All we need to do is avoid those strange zombies that can breathe fire and all, dangerous raiders and looters alike, and a generally hostile environment right now."

Everyone around the leader's meeting nodded.

"Good thing we found that warehouse!" Pepperoni shouted, a pan of pasta on hand. "We've got enough food and supplies to last us a few weeks or more!"

Everybody around nodded even stronger, as a few of the girls were already eating. Hana was consuming a whole baguette, while all four Duck Team girls were eating steak sandwiches. Kay herself was devouring her third tub of popcorn.

"And this train," Mako added with some relief, which many of the girls nodded strongly in agreement. "At least we can sleep without any worries."

"Still," Maho said. "We'll have to find more weapons and ammo for personal protection. Our own machine guns are primitive, and require some proper maintenance to use properly."

"And least we have the bandit's modern guns!" Alisa yelled out, caressing an M1 carbine.

"In your face with Takashi," grunted Naomi, leading to a flurry of outburst from the poor girl. The other girls giggled and laughed, glad to feel a little relaxed.

"Oh yeah!" Kay remembered. "America is a land rich in guns and ammo!"

"Ah, have you heard the saying?" quoted Darjeeling. "You cannot invade the mainland US. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass."

"That's the famous _misquote_ of Isoroku Yamamoto," Orange Pekoe explained, chuckling a little. "The Chief of the Combined Navies during World War II."

"California, however, is not big on guns," said Naomi. "With something called 'race riots' and violent outbursts and all, it is not exactly easy to find what we need; it's easier to find such weapons in Texas and other states like it."

Turning to Alisa, she smirked. Alisa tilted her head.

"Maybe," she began. "Takashi will like you when he finds out you kicked some butt in this zombie mayhem."

She grinned like crazy, as Alisa turned red and burst again, shouting and fidgeting like a little girl.

"Don't worry!" Aya shouted. "We'll vouch for you!"

"Sh-shut up!" Alisa replied, as others giggled, making her blush even more.

"That reminds me," Klara interjected, looking around. "We haven't seen any other high school students of our age yet."

"Why?" Nonna asked.

"No men our age," Klara replied. "What a disappointment."

"What? Are you looking for a man?" Katyusha demanded.

Klara shrugged.

"Not a bad thing in an apocalypse," she explained. "Except for those bandits and perverts, I want my genes to live on."

Her nonchalant reply was met with an awkward silence. The younger girls tilted their heads, confused. Older ones looked away, while those who wanted a love interest blushed profusely.

"Saori might not get one for herself," Mako whispered, leading to a huge uproar from the Oarai girls, as the poor ginger-haired girl hid her face with her hands.

"Really though," Anzu wiped away her tears, crushing the latest bit of her chip in her mouth. "We need all the people we can get. And an adult who won't take advantage of us is nice too."

Everybody nodded, and some of the girls even looked around, hoping to find _someone_ amidst the chaos.

"I don't see anyone!" Saori pouted. They were all still on the railroad, speeding through an area of wilderness.

"Pipe down," Mako groaned.

"Uh-oh!" a voice echoed from the locomotive. Miho and Maho both climbed up the container, then walked carefully but deliberately to the engine.

"You girls OK?" they asked the Leopon Team, who returned back to the engine minutes ago.

"Ah, it's a hybrid," Nakajima casually noted.

"Eh?" the two sisters asked.

"This train is weird," Hoshino explained, tapping on the transmissions and the control board. "It's not like any type of train we've seen."

"It goes great!" Tuschiya. "All it needs is..."

"More diesel," the two sisters answered, causing the Leopon girls to nod. "How much do we have left?"

"Enough to go for about 50 miles or so," answered Nakajima. "Unless we can find more."

"Hey!" a voice boomed from behind. The girls looked up, as Miho and Maho walked over. Standing on top of the intermodal container was Sodoko.

"Sodoko-san," said Miho. "What is it?"

"I see a refueling station!" she called out. The girls looked. Only a few miles away, a distant building stood right next to the railroad.

"Great!" Miho exclaimed. "Nakajima! Start stopping the train there!"

Nakajima winked, and slowed the train.

"Are we stopping somewhere?" a few girls asked.

"We are," Maho replied calmly. "We refuel, rest, and run."

"All over again," Momo sighed, as Yuzu tried to comfort her.

* * *

 **Riding on the train towards Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **10 miles from the nearest refueling station**

 **1:00 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Man, it's hot!"

Oryou said the one thing that everybody felt, as she pulled her loose jacket over her head. The rest of her Hippo Team also covered their heads with what they had: Erwin wore a huge, wide-brimmed hat on top of her peak hat, while Caesar covered her head with her scarf like a headscarf. Saemonza pulled out a Japanese-style umbrella, its cherry-blossom decorations glittering brilliantly in the Sun.

All other girls covered what they could. Some stayed in the tanks, trying to cool them down with fans and any makeshift AC's available. Others rested on top of their tanks, shielded by the massive, beach umbrellas they looted from the warehouse; the Leopon Team girls shared their wrenches and other tools to use nuts and bolts to keep them in place. Some walked around, using parasols, large hats, sunscreens, or other methods to keep themselves protected from the sun. The leaders huddled in their meeting, discussing some details about their supplies.

It was a battle of a different kind: fighting not against zombies, but against the intense heat.

"Don't sweat it," Mako said nonchalantly, reading a book under a cyan beach umbrella. "It was already hot to begin with."

"But it feels hotter now!" Oryou groaned underneath her jacket, as she tried to focus on reading her own books.

"Good thing we're slowing down," said Erwin, watching the front.

"Are we out of gas?!" some of the first years, especially those from the Rabbit Team, screamed in terror.

"Calm down," Nonna and a few more mature girls told them. "We're going to refuel."

The same panicking girls sighed in relief.

"Well," Azusa said to her team. "Sorry for that; guess I am still tense."

"You're not the only one," Nonna replied, rummaging through her pile of stuff on her hands. Azusa glimpsed a book, titled "The Katyusha Diary."

"Eh?" Azusa wondered. "What is-"

"It's here," Saki suddenly spoke, as the butterfly she was looking at flew away. Her interjection distracted both Azusa and Nonna, who turned around to face her.

"What's here, Saki?" asked Azusa. "Saki?"

Saki's eyes and mouth were wide open. Suddenly, she tackled her own leader, just as a blue missile flew past them. It pierced a maple tree, freezing it solid. Suddenly, a burst of fire appeared nearby, and the butterfly fell down to floor.

"Oh no," Nonna calmly said, as many girls reacted with various face palms and gestures of shock and horror. Some of them took up what weapons they had, while others hid inside the tanks or behind them, in the direction opposite of their attackers.

"Here we go again," Klara sighed, handing her friend an AK-47, preparing hers. "Let's get 'em."

"Hold your ammo!" Katyusha shouted. "Let's wait until we reach the station!"

"Hai," the two tall girls replied, but fixed their guns at the zombies.

"A Blazer," said Yukari, observing through her binoculars. "And a Freezer."

"Where is the Shocker?" asked Karina, nervous.

"Dunno," answered Noriko, getting her team to prepare to throw some stones they picked up earlier. "We'll have to pummel them when we have the chance!"

"Not yet!" Miho yelled. "Just watch them until they are close enough to hit!"

"Roger that," the girls with the guns and stones agreed, as they eyed the lumbering duo come after the train.

The two zombies shambled on, but were too slow to catch up. Despite the growing distance, the girls were still tense, knowing that the zombies were still chasing after them...

* * *

 **Riding on the train towards Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **Refueling Station**

 **1:15 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"We're finally at the station," sighed Momo, as the train screeched to a stop. Most of the girls remained on the train. All of the leaders stepped down to check the train. The Leopon Team and the Duck Team all followed suit.

"Stay close!" Maho commanded. "Let's check this area closely."

They looked around. The train station looked quite vacant, although there were signs of struggles. A few bloodstains dotted a few patches of the walls and floors; all kinds of items littered the ground below.

"Leopon Team!" Miho told them. "Go and deal with the pump. Take others who can help!"

"Roger that!" they answered, as they started to check the locomotive and the pump available.

"Surprised how smart we can get," remarked Katyusha, watching from the top of Nonna.

"We went survival mode so fast," admitted Anchovy, as her team leaped around, checking around like rats.

"With guns," Darjeeling silently said, cautiously holding her carbine. Miho could tell that she was sweating; she had never had to wield a gun before.

"Imagine that it's a tank," said Miho, smiling. "But the size of your hand."

Darjeeling giggled, then laughed out loud. All of the St. Gloriana girls except Rosehip gasped at their leader's unusual behavior; other girls onboard even took note.

"She's happy!" Rosehip declared, waving her empty teacup.

"Darjeeling-sama!" Orange Pekoe and Assam groaned.

"Well," Darjeeling moaned, but smiled. "I-I guess it's good to 'blow off steam' once in a while. For train and all."

About half of the girls onboard giggled, then laughed at her remark. A few even fell down on the train decks, crying hysterically. Orange Pekoe, Assam, and Rukuriri looked at each other, puzzled.

"Our...train is not steam-powered," said Assam at last.

"Blow off steam, you three," Darjeeling said, regaining her composure. "When life gives you lemon, make lemonade."

"The saying from-wait, who said it exactly?" asked Orange Pekoe.

"It was definitely an American," said Assam, scratching her head. "Was it Elbert Hubbard?"

"I believe it was Dale Carnegie who actually coined it," Naomi curtly replied, blowing her gum, smiling as she casually aimed her Browning machine gun at the encroaching duo. The two zombies were quite persistent; after 10 miles, they were still set on chasing after their potential prey.

"Hold your ammo," Kay told her. "Let's use some...'caveman' strategies."

Her friends put their hands in a face palm, while the others who overheard her tilted their heads, confused.

"Huh?" some of them asked.

"We have limited ammo, remember?" said Kay. "And the zeds are far away enough. So, let's target practice...using this!"

She took out something, which caused Yukari to hide behind her team's tank. Miho and the other leaders looked at it more closely.

"It's a sling," Miho noted.

"Correct!" Kay replied. "Now, all we need to do is put a stone into this pouch-thing, and swing it like David against Goliath!"

"Hold on!" Erika objected, sweating a little. "Does any of _us_ know how to use it?"

Silence filled the air, as Kay looked around back and forth. A few girls still trained their guns on the zombies, while others stared at Kay.

 _I can see why Yukari looks embarrassed_ , Miho realized, thinking. _She brought it for survival fun, but does not know how to use it._

"Can I try?" Miho asked.

"Sure!" Kay answered, glad to give it to someone _else_ , in order to avoid the awkward situation.

Miho looked at it closely.

"Onee-chan," she said. "Doesn't this look like a toy we played with?"

"It sure is," Maho replied, looking at it together. A few girls giggled in the background; the two looked like a duo of little siblings, which they technically were.

"But we used slingshots," said Maho. "Can you wield it?"

"I...I will try," she said.

Miho stretched the sling, as she tried to get a grip on how it could be used.

"Throw it like a catapult!" Anchovy suggested.

"Or a trebuchet!" Pepperoni piped in.

"How about like a boomerang?" Darjeeling advised.

"Throw like a star!" Noriko declared, handing her a fist-sized stone.

"Eh..." Miho responded. "I will do what I can."

"Stand back," Maho ordered, and everybody else stepped away, as Miho tried to swing the sling with the stone around.

"How should I do this?" she wondered. The two zombies started to come closer and closer, and some of the girls present gasped, as they now noticed the last one, jittery with electric volts all around, just appeared from behind the shambling duo.

Maho commanded her: "I will count to five...ready?"

"Five." Miho started to swing.

"Four." Miho's heart raced faster, as the zombies noticed her, and started to speed up their pace.

"Three." The zombies were running now, faster and faster towards her.

"Two." Miho glared at the middle zombie, spewing out fire like vomit.

"One-"

"Get away!"

Startled, everybody looked around, while Miho continued to swing the sling, ready to throw.

"Hey!" Saori called out. "That was a human voice!"

"And a boy's!" Yuuki pointed out.

"Duck Team!" Maho commanded, since Miho was concentrating. "Get to the back of the station! It came from there!"

Without hesitating, the four athletic girls grabbed long sticks and ran towards the source of the noise. Saori, Klara, the whole Rabbit Team, and Alisa all followed suit with their own sticks.

"Miho," Maho said. "Now!"

* * *

"Hey!" Katyusha screamed. "Why are you all following?"

"Guess they need love~ " Hosomi noted, twirling with her victory rolls, rolling her hair around with her right fingertips.

Katyusha stared at her.

"Eh?" she pondered.

"You there?" Noriko roared, as they looked around the back of the station.

"Help!" a young boy shouted, as he stumbled into view, struggling with a zombie. The girls gasped, as the survivor was about of high school age.

Noriko and her teammates braced themselves, while the others stood back.

"Hiya!" they all screamed, as they went into full combat mode. Noriko threw her stick at the zombie as a distraction, causing it to turn around. Taeko impaled it in the chest, while Shinobu used her stick to blindsight the zombie when it turned. The zombie stumbled back, letting go of its grip on the boy. Akebi then tripped it over, and all four impaled the zombie unto the ground. It moaned and gasped, trying to get up, but the four sticks stuck it to the ground like four thumb tacks or nails.

The girls gasped in relief, while the boy collapsed on a chair nearby.

"Th-thank you!" he responded, panting hard. "Thought wa-was gonna die!"

"Girls!" Noriko told to the other girls apart from her team. "Go take him to the train! We'll check around for survivors!"

"Roger that!" the girls answered, as they carried him away. Four of them gave their sticks to the Duck Team, who proceeded to check around for any survivors.

A few of them started to whisper about him, although he was too tired to even listen.

"Isn't he cute?"

"He looks about our age."

"An American boy!"

"Hehe..."

* * *

 _Thwack!_

"Nice shot," Maho and the others remarked, as the stone slammed into the zombie's neck spot-on.

The Blazer stumbled, gasped and coughed, then collapsed. Its body rapidly burnt into ashes. The other two stopped, looking down at it. Then, they growled and hissed at the girls.

"That...was a lucky shot," Miho hastily replied, blushing. "But easier than expected! Strange..."

"Maybe it's because you're Chosen?" teased Katyusha.

"W-wait!" she waved off, blushing. "L-let others try to make sure!"

"OK," Maho said, smiling. "May I try?"

Nodding, Miho handed her sister the sling. Both girls stepped to the sides, as the zombie threw another icicle at them. Maho waved her sling around hard, and threw it.

 _Crack!_

The stone hit the zombie's right arm, because the zombie appeared to be right-handed, wielding a huge icicle with it. The zombie stumbled back, and growled. The other zombie twitched with electricity, but its bolts were firing randomly around.

"Maybe we need to hit on the forehead," suggested Yukari. "According to my books, you need to kill zombies by attacking their brains. Only then will they stay down."

"Well," Katyusha objected. "These are no ordinary zombies, and Miho's shot struck one in the neck."

"Doesn't that count as decapitation?" asked Kay.

"Decapitation is cutting the neck," Orange Pekoe corrected her. "Not choking or hitting."

"Then let's have a contest!" said Kay, throwing a stone at Naomi. "Who's the best at _shooting_ a rock?"

"Nope," said Maho, causing Kay to pout a little. "This is survival, not contest."

"When the going gets tough," said Darjeeling. "The tough get going."

"Stop with all the maxim nonsense!" Erika grunted.

"Calm down, Momo," Yuzu said. The girls stared at her.

"Wait," she realized. "Oops, sorry!"

"Now you're confusing us too?!" Momo screamed out, as the girls giggled. The two zombies tilted their heads at the girls' sudden loss of interest in them. The Freezer cackled, getting the girls' attention, as it fired more icicles from its mouth.

"Guess we're too stressed," remarked Maho, as she and others dodged more missiles. "Let's just finish this."

She swang the sling around, ready to strike.

 _Cack-cack-cack-crack!_

A sudden noise appeared from out of nowhere, as the girls looked around.

"Friends!" a group of girls appeared, with a boy by their side, carrying him partly. The other girls went down and lifted him up into the train, while the others kept looking around.

"Hey," Assam noted the zombies. "They stopped looking at us..."

The zombies stopped focusing on them, even though they were only about 500 ft away. They started to...tremble.

Suddenly, a brownish humanoid charged into the track, and smashed the Freezer down, the shards of blue ice scattering about. The Shocker crouched, hiding its face in apparent fear, as the giant creature proceeded to approach the lone zombie and started to pummel it.

The girls stared, shocked.

"Wait-what?" Katyusha screamed. "That's a zombie too, right?

"And it's killing another..." Mako muttered, her face clearly shocked.

"None of my books!" yelled Yukari. "Even talk about zombies killing another! They kill humans, for crying out loud!"

"Talking zombies, magical zombies, zombie-eating humans," mumbled Nekota. "...and now, a zombie that kills other zombies."

"What is this apocalypse?!" Katyusha roared.

The brownish brute stopped punching the Shocker, and looked at them. The Shocker then fizzled out, and turned into ash much like the Blazer.

"Oops," Katyusha realized. "My bad."

"Hang on!" Aki cried out, as her team went quickly into their tank, and turned the turret. Suddenly, it stopped.

"Huh?" Mikko's voice echoed from inside the BT-42.

"No way!" Aki's voice roared. "It's...stuck!"

"Let's fix it!" Nakajima called out to her Leopon Team. "Suzuki! Hoshino! Check the BT-42!"

The two dark-skinned girls rushed to the tank, while the other Leopon girls continued to deal with the pump. The brute of a zombie stared, then cracked its shoulders, and charged.

"Hurry!" some of the girls screamed, as the Leopon duo frantically tried to fix whatever was stuck inside the turret.

"I call it Golem!" Nekota screamed, as the brute charged. "It looks like a clay-ish mass of a humanoid figure!"

"Brace yourself!" Miho and Maho yelled.

The zombie slammed into the train. The ricochet caused the train to move forward by about a yard or meter, but it was enough to scare everyone.

"No!" the Rabbit Team girls screamed, as they huddled together with the boy.

"What the!" Alisa's scream got cut off, as she slipped on the train.

"Man!" everybody reacted differently, but everybody was surprised that a zombie was able to move the entire train. Some fell down, while others held their ground. Only a few of them showed little change in their expressions.

Miho and Maho both stared at the zombie. It looked like an ogre made out of brownish clay or soil; about nine feet tall, its head was fused into the shoulder, so that only a bump was visible. However, they noticed something odd...

"What's that writing?" asked Miho, pointing at the monster's forehead.

"I know!" Nekota suddenly cried out. "In Hebrew mythology, a Golem is a robot-like creature that can move and act because of a magical word on its forehead.

Immediately, the two sisters looked at the forehead. Sure enough, a strange, green word was etched into the zombie's forehead.

"E...MET," Nekota barely read the word.

"You know Hebrew?!" Momoga and Piyotan both asked.

"Nope," she admitted. "Just something I learned when I got into Golems for a while, while playing games. You have to remove the first letter, and it kills it."

Miho and Maho both nodded to each other.

"Hey!" Maho taunted. "Come get us!"

The Golem cracked its shoulders, and charged. Everybody onboard was better-prepared, bracing for the impact. The Golem slammed into the train, but now grabbed the back of the train with its stone-like fists.

Miho then jumped to it, a wet mop in hand.

"This word?" asked Miho.

"Just the first letter!" Nekota yelled.

"OK!" Miho panted. "Here I go!"

She erased the first letter with the mop. Suddenly, the creature stopped, and stumbled back like a broken robot. Moaning, it then dissolved down into the ground behind it. Once the dust was cleared, everybody stared at the mass, and realized that it was over.

"Man!" everybody gasped.

"That was close!" Nekota gasped. "Good thing I knew that part!"

"That was easy!" said Erwin. "Thank you, Anteater Team!"

"You're welcome!" the team replied, as Nekota shyly bowed at the praises from the girls.

"So," Miho said, smiling. "Why is that important, the removing of the letter?"

"Oh," Nekota said. "The word EMET means 'truth' in Hebrew, so remove the first Hebrew letter, and the word becomes MET, which means...death."

Most of the girls who heard it shivered.

"L-let's go," said Maho, trying to break off the tense moment. "We'll refuel, rest, and run again."

* * *

 **Riding on the train towards Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **Refueling Station**

 **1:45 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Let's go!" Momo roared, as her friends tried to calm her down.

The train was now finally refueled, and after some inspection the Leopon Team and the other girls breathed a sigh of relief; despite the attacks, the train was intact.

"We're going at last!" many girls screamed out, as the train started to move.

"It was crazy," Miho remarked, sitting down under a beach umbrella to fan herself at last. "That Golem zombie was terrifying, but strangely easy to kill."

"It is," Maho sighed, finally glad that it was all over. "Guess Nekota is not used to feeling like a hero."

"She was," said Miho, giggling. "Even the boy we saved took a liking of her. She blushed badly after that."

"Speaking of the boy," said Maho. "Where is he?"

* * *

"So," a group of girls huddled around the boy. "Who are you?"

"Me?" the boy asked, surprised to see the girls speak English so well, and surprised all the more at the attention. They all cuddled around him, making him blush in embarrassment.

"I am Adam," he replied, fixing his brown but spiky hair.

"Adam!" the girls squealed with joy. Some of them hid their faces with their hands, trying to cover up their blushes.

"Nice to meet you!" one said.

"I am Saori!" another cried out.

"Yuuki!"

"Azusa!"

"Girls..." Mako moaned. "Give him some breathing space, will ya?"

Saori, the whole Rabbit Team, and other girls who were interested in him backed away, giving him some time to comprehend what was going on. They sat in front of the KV-2, the Pravda's tank.

Not all of the girls were that warm, though. Some, like Erika and Sodoko, glared at the boy, spying on him to make sure that he would not do anything...bad.

"So!" Saori said. "I am glad that you're alive and well."

"And sorry about your group," said Akebi, sitting on top of the KV-2 turret. "We had to...knock down a few of them."

"You had to do what you had to do," he shrugged. "And thanks."

"You're welcome," Akebi smiled, with a slightly dreamy look in her eyes.

"So!" said Saori. "What's your story?"

"Story?" he asked.

"Your adventure since the apocalypse," said Mako.

"Oh! Well," he began. "I am Adam, and I was with my friends and was watching your parade on live broadcast nearby a park. The park had a giant screen to show the whole spectacle. Suddenly, we hear from the screen the alarm, the parade stopping..."

"...and the sounds from announcer," the girls finished his sentence, shivering. They still remembered that moment, when a zombie, a _talking_ zombie, somehow killed the man, and announced online.

"California has fallen," Akebi said, shivering. "California sure has fallen."

"But it appears only California did," said Adam, shivering in agreement. "From my side, we heard something else."

"What is it?" the girls asked. Miho and other leaders also overheard the conversation, and joined in.

"Our group," said Adam. "Was composed mostly of white-collar, relatively well-off families. We got an announcement over our side. Something about like this:

 _"Attention, viewers. This is an emergency. Please remain calm, as the US military will come and escort you all out. Please be aware of anyone who offers help, even if crucial. Do not trust anyone except those in your group, and the military. Especially beware of those who call themselves the 'Chosen Ones.'"_

The girls paled at the revelation. Maho grabbed Miho tightly, who was shaking a little. Saori, noticing this, quickly ran towards her tank.

"I have no idea what was going on," said Adam. "We were gossiping among ourselves, and then all these military trucks of sort came along. I am amazed at the reaction of the military. We were then escorted out. Suddenly, the soldiers started firing. Worst of all, those... _former_ humans started to attack."

"I knew," he continued, scratching his neck with his left hand, while his eyes looked back and forth. "That it was a zombie attack of sort. Almost all of us knew it, and we panicked. One of my neighbors opened up the truck door. How stupid was that! Zeds after zeds then swarmed upon us, forcing us to run for our lives."

"And long story short," he began to finish, scratching his neck all the harder, sweating. "What little remained of my group came here."

"And you lost your family and all," said Azusa, as Saori finally came along with the Boko doll, who then handed it to Miho. Miho held it tight, and thanked her.

Saori sat down, and Azusa quickly told her the story while she was gone.

"Thanks for listening," Adam replied, scratching his neck. Miho, Maho, Sodoko, and Mako started to raise their eyebrows at his habit.

"No problem," Azusa said, as the others agreed, oblivious to the situation at hand.

Sodoko and Mako suddenly cleared their throats together.

"Say," Sodoko began. "Why are you scratching your neck, Mr. Adam?"

Adam stopped cold. Eyeing him, Miho and Maho both approached him, who fixed his collar to hide the back of his neck.

"Why are you covering," began Maho. "Your neck with your collar-"

"Hey!" he cried, standing up. "I-I am still alive, am I?"

He put his left hand on his collar-covered neck. The collar was apparently standing up, covering his neck. Miho and Miho both noticed some bloodstains on the left side.

"Adam..." the two girls said. Maho's face darkened, while Miho's expressed polite concern.

"No-no!" Adam began. "I can explain-"

"Wait a minute!" Saori cried out, taking out a pair of disposable plastic gloves and wearing them.

"Hey!" Adam objected. "You don't have to-"

With a quick reflex, Saori reached out, and snatched Adam's hands away. His collar clearly showed fresh bloodstains.

"Ahhhh!" came the huge array of screams.

Saori backed off, throwing away her gloves into the air, which flew into the sky. Akebi immediately wielded out her stick, holding it nervously at Adam. The rest of the Rabbit Team fled, screaming as they jumped away.

"What is going on?" Katyusha, her whole team, Momo, and Erika came along.

"He's bitten," Sodoko replied coldly. Nonna, Klara, and Erika went on full alert, cracking their knuckles.

"Wait!" he stammered. "I-I am still alive, you know! You met me about 30 minutes ago! And I still live!"

"Living or not," said Sodoko, growling. "A bite is a bite. Let us see it more fully."

"I am still alive!" he frantically cried out, trying to hide his neck.

"Akebi!" Noriko raised her voice, as her team came in and she threw Akebi a pair of gloves. "Get his arm!"

Akebi instantly put on the gloves, and quickly wrenched the boy's arms. She knocked him to the floor, immobilizing him.

"OK!" Noriko said, wearing her own gloves and with a stick in her right arm. "Let's see the bite..."

She opened up Adam's collar, and a few girls screamed upon noticing it.

A semi-circular mark of red gashes appeared on the left side of the boy's neck. Adam sweated profusely at the exposure, as more girls screamed in response in the background.

"I..." Miho began. "I...I am sorry, sir. If we know how to heal you, then we can keep you onboard."

"But I am still alive!" he cried out, weeping. "All of my friends and friends turned in a few minutes, while I am still alive!"

"Interesting comment," said Sodoko, crossing her arms in defiance. "But a bite is still a bite."

"How are you still living?" asked Miho, as more girls gathered and gasped at the revelation. Akebi continued to pin him to the floor.

"I-I don't know!" he stammered. "My mo-mommy to-told me to stay cool and stay determined for something. The-then, she lost it when she got bitten, and told me to run for my life!"

"And how are you still alive now?" asked Maho, now preparing her carbine.

"I-I guess," he continued to stutter, starting to twitch. "I-I drank some w-wine and that some-somehow prevented it-"

"It only delays the inevitable," Sodoko said curtly.

"Akebi," said Noriko. "Release him."

She immediately obliged, and stumbled back to a safe distance. Adam slowly rose, sobbing not in pain, but in shame. Girls all around him now pointed their sticks, from brooms to makeshift spears, at him.

"No-wait-wait!" he stammered. "I-I-I-"

"Hold your tongue," said Maho, approaching him with her carbine in hand. He stood, but twitched violently. His eyes started to blur.

"Pl-please!" he moaned.

"You are bitten," said Maho. "And that's that."

"I am...sorry," he moaned again, his legs twitching badly. "Oh...oh..."

"This is for your own sake," said Maho. "And ours."

She kicked him, and he tumbled down unto the grassy floor nearby the tracks. The girls looked on, as the poor boy rose up, and now shook badly. Suddenly, he unleashed a horrific roar, as the girls cringed at the volume. He suddenly charged at the fleeing train.

"I will finish him," Kay said in a gloomy tone, waving her sling. She threw, and the rock nailed him in the forehead, who crumbled on the railroad track.

"Onee-chan..." Miho said, as the first-years behind them cried softly.

"I know," she sighed. "He was bitten, and that's that. Let's go."

* * *

 **50 miles before Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **2:15 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Go as we go," Saori lamely said, sighing again and again.

She and her own circle of like-minded friends sighed together, doing basically nothing as the train continued to move on. The winds kept whispering through the wilderness. Birds kept chirping in innocent ignorance. Explosions and noises erupted in the distance, echoing through the forests.

"Heh..." Saori and her group sighed, then sobbed, mourning their loss.

"Adam..." Saori moaned. "How could you...hide...it..."

Erika, Mauko, Ritaiko, and Koume approached the group.

"Ahem!" the leader of them spoke.

Erika's response drew the girls' attention, although they were still weeping and sighing.

"I know that you all are sad," she said. "But here is something that we want to say: this is apocalypse. You cannot trust random strangers that easily in the first place. And he sure knew how to hide it-his wound."

Saori and her circle only sniffed. Saori then stood up, and stared at Erika and her group.

"You are right," she sighed. Erika silently nodded.

"I guess we were too selfish," she continued. "Right, girls?"

"Sorry for it," Yuuki sniffed.

"Yeah," Ayumi shook herself, wiping away her tears.

"Let's focus on surviving," said Azusa, standing up with Saori. "Then, we can pursue all the boys we want."

"And if you do," said Koume. "I will try and connect with some of my male friends."

"Yay!" all of the girls in Saori's circle rose and roared. "Hooray!"

"Did they understand me?" Erika wondered, shaking her head. "And why did you offer that?"

"To help their mood," Koume said, smiling. "But don't we all have to do something like that soon?"

"Dunno," Mauko shrugged. "But we'll have to see-"

"Help us!"

Another voice rang out, this time multiple ones.

Erika rolled her eyes.

"Hopefully this time," she said. "It's worth our time to save some people."

"Can you stop the train?" Miho yelled out.

"Cannot stop in time!" Nakajima answered back. "Train is not easy to stop!"

"Try!" Miho called out. The Leopon Team nodded, and tried to push the brakes. The train still did not slow down, but it rocked back and forth under the brakes.

Some of the girls shook their heads in disbelief, while others shrugged.

"Life is life," began Erika. "Sometimes, we have to-ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND AGAIN?!"

Miho wrapped a rope around her waist (while attaching it to her tank), ran to the front of the train, between the container and the locomotive, and jumped. Tumbling down, she ran towards the sight.

A family of four was running away from a horde, which was chasing at a methodical gait. Miho noticed that the zombies were not running, which was a good sign.

"Grab on!" she roared in English at the little girl. Without a second thought, her mother hoisted her up, and Miho grabbed her. Miho then jumped back unto the train, her rope pulled by her Anglerfish Team. The little girl's bright blond hair and her holding a teddy bear looked familiar...

"NOT YOU TOO!?" Erika's voice echoed again, as Maho emulated her sister, jumping down from the front of the train with a rope around her waist. Unlike her sister, Maho attached her rope to a secure hook from the intermodal container. She quickly grabbed hold of the older, taller boy, who quickly ran towards the train and jumped up together with Maho. Her own team pulled the rope safely, with Erika doing so reluctantly.

"Nonna, Klara!" Katyusha cried, raising a rope. "Go!"

The two tall Pravda girls immediately attached their ropes to the KV-2, wrapped their ropes around their waists, and jumped down. They hurried to lift the woman onboard.

"Keep going!" Kay moaned, as she and the Saunders and Pravda teams pulled them up.

"Hold on!" Noriko and her team roared, as the last person to save was still running full speed. Behind him, the zombies suddenly screeched, and ran towards him. Miho saw him starting to pant hard.

"Let's go!" Miho called out, jumping down again.

"Stop being a hero!" Erika roared, face palming. "This is why we lost-"

"Just go!" Noriko jumped down, her rope attached to her own team's tank. "Miho, get the man! I will deal with them!"

Miho went after the man, who was way, WAY bigger than her. Fortunately, Shinobu came down, and hoisted the man up with Miho. Noriko spun her two sticks, knocking down two of the chasers with her longer stick, while striking on in the left eyeball with her shorter one. It moaned, as it tried to pull it off.

"Pull!" she roared, and Taeko and Akebi pulled the rope, and Noriko jumped away. She almost flew, as she grabbed the rear of the last train car, just as a rotting hand grabbed the sole of her left shoe. The same zombie whom he nailed in the eye roared, and ran fast enough to catch her.

"Let go!" she screamed, kicking the hand away. The monster screeched, and continued to run as the train picked up the speed.

Noriko finally boarded back unto the train, and the others panted for breath. The zombies continued to chase the train, until they noticed another group of survivors, and went after them instead.

"I pity that group there," Katyusha grunted. "But, at least we're safe."

"Thank you so much," began the man who was saved. "For saving-"

"Hold your mouth!" Erika growled. The whole family flinched.

"Eh?" the family wondered.

"You all," Erika growled. "Stay there."

The four victims obeyed without question, and were all rounded up to the front of the BT-42, the tank of the Jatkosota team. While Mika played an ominous tune on her kantele, the girls observed their rescued members.

Erika beckoned some of the girls. Mauko, Ritaiko, Sodoko and her team, Nonna, and Klara all stared very intensely at the family.

Miho and Maho both looked. The family was clearly a family of white Americans, the stereotypical kind that they and other Japanese think of when they thought of "Americans." The husband was a well-built man of at least six feet or 180 cm tall, with brownish-blond hair and green eyes. The wife was slimmer, but with a gentler appearance; she appeared almost as tall as her man, with flowing, golden hair and bright blue eyes. The boy was apparently of high school age, just like Adam; however, he had blood-red hair and emerald-green eyes. His appearance attracted even Erika, who slapped herself hard just to concentrate. The little girl looked like an angel, with her whitish-blond hair and very brilliant blue eyes. She looked like her mother.

"Hold it right there," Erika growled at the family. All four survivors stood tense, as they faced a large number of girls staring down at them.

"H-hi," said the man. "Th-thanks for saving us."

"Hold your thanks," growled Mauko, stepping forward with a stick. The family shook a little at the situation.

"Calm down," said Maho, stepping forward with her own stick. "First things first: sir, do you have any bite wounds?"

"No," said the man bluntly, blinking. Mauko and her comrades analyzed the man's remark.

"No hesitance there," Mauko whispered to Maho.

"Clearly not lying," Maho remarked. "But..."

"Sir," said Maho, stepping close. The man began to shield his family, with him and his wife holding their children tight.

"We have our own family to deal with too," said Miho, coming up with a set of clothing. Her softer, nicer tone soothed the family; all four relaxed, especially the little girl.

"Want some clothing?" asked Miho. The little girl nodded furiously, and bounced to her. Miho then directed her and the woman to come along, and the two went with a group of Rabbit, Turtle, and St. Gloriana teams to dress up in private.

"You two," said Erika, staring down at the males with an intense stare, although her eyes blinked at the redhead. "Are you sure you all have no bites?"

"Nope," the two replied, with the same tone of certainty.

Erika stared, and she and others noticed some bloodstains on the shirts. The Duck Team and some of the Kuromorimine, Pravda, and Saunders teams readied themselves with sticks and stones.

"Take off your shirts," Maho commanded, and the two obeyed without question. Sodoko, Koume, Azusa, and Alisa both analyzed the males' bodies very closely.

"No bites," Sodoko confirmed.

"And no wounds of any kind," Alisa remarked. "How did you all survive without getting bitten or injured?"

"We liked to play rough but safe," the man replied. "When the chaos happened, I took my whole family in my car, brought out everything that we needed, and took off. Unfortunately, a military helicopter noticed me, and we flagged down for help. Instead..."

He gritted his teeth, as his son patted him to calm him down, a concerned look on the son's face.

"The twisted pilot of the helicopter," he managed to say. "Shot at our car, and we had to run."

The girls gasped.

"Aren't you a US citizen?" asked Kay, thunderstruck.

"All four of us are," the man replied, sighing.

"How was that even possible?" Alisa asked, furious and throwing a fit.

"Dunno," he replied. "Fortunately, he got distracted by something, and flew away. By then, our car was totaled, and we had to escape on foot. Long story short, we ended up at the railroad station, and you saved us before the horde did."

"Here are some T-shirts and jeans," said Miho, giving them. "Although we got only the type for girls, these should fit for you."

"They do," said the man, looking at the clothes and grinning. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Miho. "And your family is done. Please dress up."

* * *

"So," said Maho. "Sorry for our caution, but previously, a boy onboard turned, and we had to let him go."

"That's why we're cautious," said Erika. "Just to be sure."

"Sorry about that," said the man, sitting down with his family. This time, the whole family sat inside the cargo container, facing the Panzer IV of the Anglerfish Team. The rest of the leaders and some other girls sat, stood, or laid down, watching the family.

"So," said the man. "I think you're the Senshadou girls, right?"

"Oh!" many of the girls replied. "We are!"

"We saw you live on screen," said the man. "We were just-"

"They are!" the little girl screamed with delight. "The cuties from Japan!"

"Hush, Maylee," the woman admonished the hyperactive kid. "Mind your manners. They're from Japan, so behave well, please."

The girl only pouted, but obeyed.

"Ali-I mean, Maylee," said Miho. "Hello there."

The two girls smiled at each other, and giggled.

"Comma-I mean, Miho-san," said Erika. "Stop being so relaxed at this time!"

Erika, however, kept looking at the redheaded boy.

"It is apocalypse," said Maho, patting Erika on the right shoulder. "But there is a time for this too."

Erika sighed.

"Alright," said Erika. "But say, who are you all?"

"I am Maylee!" the little girl cried out joyfully; she already garnered the trust of many girls with her cheery demeanor.

"I am Jorge Wellington, said the man. "This is my wife, Martha Wellington."

"He-hello," the young teen finally spoke. "I...I am Gabriel Wellington."

Erika and a good number of girls stared at this redhead for longer than usual.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Eh?" the girls snapped out of their states.

"Ahem!" Erika cleared her throat, blushing. "Since you all are safe and not infected, then..."

"Welcome aboard!" said Miho. "Why not rest?"

"And tell us your story, too!" Saori said, with a tray of drinks. "Drinks?"

"Thank you!" the family replied.

"Wait," Jorge, said, drinking his glass of latte. "Didn't I tell you our story?"

"They want to hear more," said Martha.

"OK!" Jorge said. "I will tell you..."

* * *

 **35 miles before Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **2:45 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"So that's what happened to you all," Miho remarked.

Miho and all of the leaders sat with the husband and wife, sharing and laughing about their encounters with all kinds of incidents since the apocalypse. Maylee sat right next to the left of Miho, squirming with delight as she drank her juice box. Gabriel, however, was trying to talk normally with a large number of girls in front of the Rabbit Team's tank; he struggled to keep the horde of girls from pushing into his private bubble.

"Yes," Jorge sighed. "Just like this Adam boy you all saved, we were just watching you all on live screen. Then, that announcement came about, talking about the National Guard and the Chosen stuff. And just like Adam, the military got overwhelmed by...them. We were running for our lives; fortunately, all of us four have a family tradition of jogging together for fun. That really helped us now."

"And the helicopter shot you all, you survived, and somehow ended up in the train station," Erika summarized.

Jorge nodded.

"But something's bothering us," said Martha. "The military's sudden reaction to this zombie mayhem is so...effective. And they seem to suddenly know about this Chosen stuff."

"About that-"

Miho was about to speak, but Maho and Erika both silently shushed her with their eyes and fingers. They did not want to tell them yet.

"There is something else..." Jorge spoke. Everybody paid attention fast, just as Gabriel was trying to get away from horde of girls behind him.

"Gabriel," Jorge spoke, his tone changing from friendly to serious.

Gabriel stood still, and the others also stopped. Chattering slowly faded away, as the air changed. The sky above was now cloudier, although the Sun continued to shine through the gaps in the gray sky.

"Tell them what you learned," said Jorge. "You know more than us."

"T-that?" Gabriel asked. "D-dad! You didn't tell them?"

"You can explain better than I," he replied, sighing. Even Maylee stopped smiling, and squeezed Miho's left arm tight.

"What is it?" Miho asked.

"More secrets?" asked Katyusha. "Man, I am getting tired of all these mysteries! Learning that the US government somehow knows about this 'Chosen' stuff? It sounds so...bizarre!"

Gabriel sighed, and cleared his throat.

"I-I learned it," he began to explain. "From my friend who was the son of a super-rich company with a rather...questionable business model. I am surprised that his father still kept getting richer and richer. But long story short, he whispered to me and gave me a tablet with all the details inside."

He whipped it out from a backpack that he carried. The tablet looked like an iPad, but had a strange tattoo-like blue marking all over it.

"Never seen that type of tablet before," Mako noted. "I don't even recognize it."

"See this," he said, and clicked a button.

He held out the tablet, and a video of a teenage boy with eyeglasses, shaggy brown hair, and brown but bloodshot eyes appeared. He was visibly panting.

"Ga-Ga-Gabriel!" the boy coughed, trying to speak. "So-sorry for cutting off our farewell! But there is something I have to tell you!"

The boy slowly breathed deeply, only to run to his door to check something. Then, he came back, more relieved than before, but still panting a little.

"Good!" he breathed a sigh of relief. "No one's watching! But I need to tell this, and keep this tablet safe! If necessary, give it to someone you trust, especially...the Chosen."

The girls stared more intently, especially Miho.

"I thought it was all myth and talk," he explained. "But about an hour ago, around 11:00 AM on July 8 or today, I-I overheard a strange talk between my father and a secret agent of sort! I eavesdropped on them, to see what's going on. What I heard was shocking, so much so that I also decided to record their conversation using my own cell phone!"

He held out his phone, and clicked a button. A fuzzy but audible conversation began.

"Mr. Snyder," said a voice. "You and your son must escape now."

"What is going on?" asked a younger-sounding, but angrier voice. "Agent Singh, explain it!"

"Agent Singh?" Miho wondered, then gasped. She remembered the dream, of the man in turban who murdered a Watcher.

"Hard to say it all," answered the rough, deep voice. "But we have found out that somebody messed with the Orb."

"The Orb?" asked Mr. Snyder. "Oh! You mean that thing that helped my company to prosper!"

The girls blinked.

"The Orb can also make you rich?" Karina asked, but was shushed.

"Unfortunately," Agent Singh replied. "Your company is out of luck."

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Snyder roared.

"The Orb had gone rogue," said Agent Singh. "And your company's stocks are going out. But there is hope; if you want to save your business and everything, even your family, you have to go after them."

"Who?" Mr. Snyder asked.

"We call them," said Agent Singh. "Those Chosen Ones."

The girls gasped.

"Is this video game or what?" Mr. Snyder roared. "Don't make me feel like a fool!"

"And you don't realize it," said Agent Singh. "That the Chosen Ones are the only way to find the Orb. Do you want to know what is going on?"

The boy suddenly paused the audio.

"OK!" the boy continued. "So, when I recorded it and heard it over and over, I cannot believe it! This sounded more like magic than anything I've heard! Here!"

He continued the audio.

"The Chosen Ones," said Agent Singh. "Are a strange group of people, who are chosen by the Orb to prove that humans are worth saving. Long ago, I met a group of people called the Watchers. They are gone now."

Miho shivered, suspecting what had happened to them.

"They left a strange prophecy of sort," said Agent Singh. "That's how we know about the Chosen, and it's in a poem of sort:

 _You deal with powers unknown_

 _And see the horrors shown_

 _The dead shall rise_

 _And shall taint the skies_

 _But see a new hope rising_

 _The Chosen Ones rising._

 _They will slay the despair_

 _And make the ultimate repair._

 _The Chosen have powers beyond_

 _None since the humans dawned_

 _They have the power to disrupt_

 _The whole world of humanity._

"Long story short," said the Agent Singh. "All your wealth from reviving dead pets and all."

The girls gasped again.

"You kidding me!" the boy in the screen paused it again. "I now realize what my father was doing! He was using this Orb-thing to resurrect dead pets of famous celebrities! That's why I saw coffins after coffins, too small to be humans but too big to be babies, carried into my father's company! He refused to let me even know what was going on! Now, I realize that my own father! My own **** father! Was. Playing. God. All. Along!"

He slammed his phone into his desk, hands covering his face. The girls gawked at the revelation, as the poor boy sobbed on-screen.

"If you want anything to come out of this," the boy hissed. "Just remember this, and I need to cut our time off soon: my father and this Agent Singh are part of an organization, something called the Project Aqaba. They foresaw something like this happening, if it ever happens at all. They're now in the hunting process, looking for the Chosen Ones. Find them, and give them this tablet and everything I give you in the bag!"

The girls stared at Gabriel, who took off his bag and held it with both of his arms. His father held the tablet while he was doing this.

"They're after the Chosen Ones," the boy continued, shaking. "They're going to turn them into machines or something! I sound like a lunatic, and you may think of it as such! But the Chosen Ones seem to have magic, and have the power to slay the dead or something! And if you want to know who they are?"

The girls stared.

"I heard Agent Singh talking about capturing someone named Rudolf," he said.

Everybody gasped. It was the name of the scientist who told Joshua.

"And they...tortured him or something. Found out that he gave away the Cube or something. The Cube is one of those few that show and prove who's Chosen!" he continued. "Only a Chosen can actually use it or something! Find them, and we can fix this madness!"

"Edward!" a giant voice boomed. "We have to go!"

"Sorry!" Edward said. "Gabriel! I have to go! Hope to see you later!"

 _Click._ The screen turned off.

"And yeah," Gabriel said. "It seems that the US government, despite being secular, seems to have meddled with supernatural stuff or something. All this sounds like...a story from the Bible or something."

"The Chosen Ones sound intriguing," said Martha.

"Who are they?" asked Gabriel. "One thing he did promise, when he gave me his stuff, is this: DO NOT GIVE THIS TO ANYONE BUT THE CHOSEN."

He sighed.

"I need to find that person," Gabriel replied. "Then, this quest of mine can end."

The girls around said nothing, and turned to look at Miho. Breathing deeply, she stood up, and Maylee followed suit. Her eyes widened at Miho.

"Miho sis?" she asked. "Are you..."

Jorge, Martha, and Gabriel both stared at the girl. Miho then slowly took it out. The Cube enlarged, and pulsed with lights of gold and magenta.

Without hesitation, Gabriel handed over the bag, along with the tablet.

"Keep it!" he declared. "I am tired of this stuff right now!"

Miho calmly accepted the bag, but noticed the Cube shaking faster and faster. Suddenly, it flew up, and slammed into the tablet, causing Miho to drop it in surprise. The fused device then rose up, and turned into what looked like a holographic screen.

"What the..." everybody reacted, startled.

The giant screen suddenly showed a dark-skinned scientist in his white lab coat. He was sitting down in an old, wooden chair. He was glaring at someone, and the girls gasped.

His face bore scars and wounds, one of which was a zombie bite. However, his scarred face showed determination.

"Dr. Rudolf," said a voice. The girls gasped, as they recognized the name of the scientist.

"The guy who told Joshua!" Karina screamed out.

"Who?" the Wellingtons asked. Miho quickly explained to the family, while watching the screen.

"Dr. Rudolf," the same voice repeated. "Where is the Cube?"

Rudolf smirked.

"The Chosen Ones will get you," Rudolf grunted.

"Nobody can save you now," said the voice, which appeared in the form of a tall, robust man dressed in black suit. "And there is no way no one can hear you."

"If a Chosen uses the Cube I gave," Rudolf replied. "Then, they will know the truth, and the truth shall set them free."

"You still have not answered our question," said the man in black suit, booming and looming over the scientist. "Where is the Cube? Or more importantly, have you found the Chosen Ones?"

The girls stared, silent.

"You've gotten enough already!" he answered.

The girls gasped.

"So there are others!" Azusa replied.

"But we need a specific Chosen," the man growled more viciously. "The one who got the Cube. That Cube is one of the very few items that we have."

"And," said Rudolf, smirking despite the pain. "That a Chosen can use the Cube to find us in this situation."

"That is impossible," said the man. "Rudolf, you speak true, only if you know where the Cube is."

"I gave to no one," said Rudolf. "Except the one worthy."

"You are bitten already," the man said. "As punishment, and now we have a cure for it."

"Cure?" Rudolf spat. "I invented no cure."

"What?" the man blurted out, losing his edge.

"That's just a medication," he explained. "That only delays the inevitable."

"You lied then," the man hissed. "I took it in hopes of being cured!"

"It sure suits you," Rudolf retorted.

"Shut up," the man growled.

"The Chosen Ones," Rudolf coughed. "They will punish you all! Curse you, those who corrupt CIA and the government for personal gain! Curse you, those who take advantage of the Orb! Curse you, YOU of all, for wanting the Orb itself!"

The man in black took out something, and fired.

"Arrghhh!" Rudolf screamed in agony, as three strange wires struck him right in the chest.

"You are turning," the man grunted. "Only a turning man would be able to resist that."

"Well," Rudolf said, gasping. "To be honest, I commanded the zombie to bite me."

The people watching the scene stared, gawking.

"What?" everybody gasped, both from those watching, and the man in black himself.

"I have this," Rudolf said, stretching out his neck.

"A necklace?" the man asked, glaring.

"Take it out," Rudolf smirked.

The man took out a trash picker, and reached at the scientist's neck. The rusty necklace held a single jewel, and the man suddenly backed away.

"You!" the man roared.

"Got you," said Rudolf, a victorious grin on his face. "Nicolae, you think you can get the Orb? Even if you do, the Chosen Ones will win in the end."

"Liar!" Nicolae roared. "I now know that the Chosen Ones are still here! That Watching Eye only allows you to see that some Chosen Ones are listening! Who are they?"

"Not gonna tell you," he said casually, looking directly at the screen. "Chosen Ones, if you can see me, then I can see you. Stay strong. Be brave and very courageous. Fight the good fight. Test everything, hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. Especially from this disgusting tyrant who wants the entire USA all to himself-"

He twitched, as the infection took hold.

"Farewell," Nicolae hissed, getting up.

"Not done yet," he said, the Eye suddenly glowing. "This artifact doubles as an explosion device, and I managed to learn how to activate it, with my own mind. Bye."

BOOM!

The screen went blank with thick, gray smoke, and everyone stared in silence. Suddenly, a voice cracked through.

"Ru-Rudolf!" Nicolae's voice hissed. "You might have gotten away, but I know who they are! Our secret Watching Tower detected their presence days ago! Men! Commence Operation Destiny!"

"Commander!" a voice younger than that of Nicolae cracked through something, which sounded like a radio. "We've found the targets."

"Where are they?" Nicholae hissed.

"The Senshadou girls," the radio voice answered. "We don't know which one, but one of them is Chosen already."

The girls gasped. Maho quickly took Miho's hands and stared at her own sister, her eyes full of concern.

"How is that possible?" Nicholae asked. "Doesn't a Chosen need the Hand of God?"

"The Watching Tower detects anyone who has potential to become a Chosen," said the radio voice. "Commence?"

"Commence!" roared Nicolae. "I need every ***** Chosen I need!"

The screen went black, and the Cube detached from the tablet. Gabriel caught the tablet, while Miho caught the Cube. It now glowed white with red squares. Everybody was silent for a long time. Minutes felt like seconds, as the train continued to roll on, following the tracks to Los Santos. Birds chirped and sang innocently in the woods, flying away as the train sped by. The clouds of gray and white floated calmly in the blue sky above. The Sun kept smiling, its rays of warming light casting a bright shine upon the darkened earth below.

Miho finally spoke.

"It looks like," she said. "That I need to be careful."

"But why do they want someone like you?" Katyusha roared. "And what's up with this Hand of God thing?"

"I..." Miho began. "That reminds me-"

"Land ahoy!" Tsuchiya's voice boomed from the locomotive. The freckled, smiling face of the Leopon Team girl showed up, apparently oblivious to the crowd's reaction at what transpired.

"Los Santos is coming soon!" she continued. "And...you all OK?"

"Nakajima," said Miho. "Will you explain..."

Nakajima explained the whole situation. Tsuchiya gawked, and her face lost its smile.

"Oh..." she realized. "Wait, will the military wait for Miho at..."

Everybody stared at the city in the distance.

"We have to see," said Miho in a low voice, holding her Boko doll tightly.

* * *

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **3:16 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Getting close," said Nakajima, as she directed the Leopon Team in the locomotive. However, Hoshino was holding her team's machine gun, while Suzuki wielded one of the carbines looted from the bandits earlier.

In fact, all of the teams back were now fully armed, down to the tanks even having their guns loaded fully. The Wellington family took shelter inside the intermodal container; Jorge personally wielded the only gun that he know how to handle: a carbine.

"Ready to fire at any minute," Miho called from her radio, her body halfway exposed on top of the turret as usual. "Kay, can you explain more about the military in the US?"

"I know a little," Kay called over from the radio, her torso exposed like Miho. "But imagine state and national guards patrolling around, and helicopters flying around."

"And are they spying on us?" Katyusha's cry blared from the radio. "Going Big Brother and watching all of us and all?"

"Unfortunately yes," replied Maho's voice, half of her body on top of the turret. In fact, all of the leaders of each tank kept their heads up to some varying degree. Some, like Miho, kept their torsos exposed, but their legs in the tank. Others, like Noriko and Mika, sat on top of their tanks. Some, like Azusa, held only their heads up, still scared.

Miho then stood up, watching the skyline of Los Santos. She glimpsed hundreds of helicopters all around, much like Los Angeles. She cocked her Desert Eagle handgun, but stared at it with sweats.

"Onee-chan," she whispered.

"Miho?" her sister's voice cracked through the radio.

"I am scared," she admitted.

"Miho, don't worry," Maho answered. "I will try and be with you."

"But," Miho said. "What if..."

She trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

"Even if it happens," Maho said. "Remember what we did? Back in Japan, we went to shrines and prayed to our local spirits. In America, they go to churches and pray. If all else fails, you know what to do."

Miho smiled.

"Thanks," she began. "I-"

BOOM!

"Oh no!" multiple girls screamed through the radio. Miho and other leaders looked around. Behind them, a part of the railroad exploded into shrapnel and flying debris.

"A missile attack?" Yukari cried out from the tank.

"That's no ordinary missile!" Jorge roared from his own radio.

Suddenly, Miho and the others sighted a single, white plane zooming down on them. Miho squinted, and gasped.

"There is no cockpit!" she told her comrades. "Wait a minute! That's..."

"A robotic plane?" Karina's voice squealed with awe from the radio.

"Worse!" Jorge roared from the radio. "It's a Predator drone!"

Everybody went silent, as the plane zoomed past them.

"And a drone should carry two of those missiles!" Jorge warned. "Check it!"

Miho immediately took out her binoculars, and sighted the UAV.

"It has one more missile!" she cried out. "Get ready!"

"How do we fire at a robotic plane killer?" Sodoko's voice moaned. "That's so unfair! No wonder people in the Middle East hate America!"

"Just shoot it down!" Katyusha roared.

"Hai..." Nonna's voice was very reluctant, raising her AK-47 slowly.

"Nonna?" Katyusha asked, more concerned this time.

"We have...no experience with shooting down a plane," Nonna admitted.

"Then anyone who can shoot the plane down?" asked Katyusha. Nobody answered.

"Wait a minute!" Jorge's voice roared from the radio. "Miss Legend-I mean, Miss Miho! You have the Cube?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember that man Rudolf?" he interjected. "He used that Watching Eye necklace thing to explode? Can you use the Cube? Especially since you're Chosen?"

All of the leaders peeked out of their turrets, and stared at Miho. Even the Leopon Team girls watched her, eyeing her intently.

"Wait-wait!" Miho began. "I am not good with shooting or magic or-"

She got cut off, as the UAV turned around, and it approached them fast. They gasped, as the last missile flew.

"Are they trying to kill us?" Katyusha roared.

"No!" Jorge answered. "Based on the explosion of the first, that thing is not meant to kill! It's meant to immobilize the train! Miho, just do it!"

Miho sweated, but nodded as she took out the Cube. It pulsed with a strange amount of very bright energy; ribbons of red, white, and blue swirled around the platinum-colored cube.

The missile came closer...

"Now!" Jorge screamed, this time out of the cargo and watching her.

"Not yet!" Miho yelled, holding it tight.

The missile was now only about 30 meters or 100 feet away...

"Miho!" everybody screamed, as the missile was about to hit the coupler that connected the cargo train car and the car that held Miho's tank.

"Now!" Miho answered herself, as she jumped out and took out the Cube. It flew away from her right hand, and suddenly merged into the missile, and the plane zoomed by.

"Are you kidding!?" Jorge and his family gasped, as Miho found herself holding the missile like a javelin on her right arm. Somehow, the missile landed nicely on her right hand, where the Cube was. The missile's engine was still running.

Turning around fast, she readied her right arm and threw the missile. Its flew right into the plane, and a huge explosion greeted the girls.

Miho panted, shocked at the turn of the event.

"Chosen!" everyone roared in gratitude.

"Man," she panted. "Not the 'Legend' thing again..."

Suddenly, a scream rang out from the locomotive.

"Leopon Team?" Miho immediately asked on the radio, standing up. "What's wrong?"

"Miho!" Nakajima's shaky voice stammered through the radio. "Look...ahead."

Girls craned their necks out from all of the doors on their tanks possible, and everyone was thunderstruck.

"That's impossible!" some of them roared.

"How can they!" moaned some of them.

"I knew that the government can do horrific things!" Kay roared, smashing her fists into her turret. "But this? This nuts beyond nuts!"

Miho, Maho, and the Wellingtons stood silent, trying to understand it all...

* * *

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **3:31PM; July 9, 20XX**

"What's with this?" a man roared in the streets of Los Santos. "I thought this whole area was a safe zone!"

The single man was shouting at the cold figure of a masked soldier, holding with his shield and baton like a riot police officer. Behind the soldier stood fences after fences, and soldiers after soldiers, lined up to defend what remained of that military base, hastily set up to save the "important members" of society.

"I am not important?" the same man roared into the soldier's face. "What's this? I need to see my daughter!"

The soldier stood, silent as a stone statue.

"You have no reason to worry," the soldier replied in a methodical tone. "Everything will be alright."

"How is this alright?" said another man, blaring back. "We came to seek refuge, and now this?"

"I repeat," the soldier coldly said. "Everything is alright."

Five military helicopters and three Predator drones flew by, and all of them exploded in mid-air.

Even the soldier flinched at the sudden sight.

"Well..." the same soldier momentarily lost his cool. "I-ahem. I repeat, everything is-"

"NOT ALRIGHT!" a young woman screamed out, as she dashed out from a nearby tent. "Father! Get out of there!"

"Daughter!" he roared, trying to get in, but the soldier knocked him down with his rifle stock.

"Enough," he grunted. "Let's just-"

The whole crowd behind the unconscious man roared, and charged into the camp.

"Revenge!" some of them roared, tearing into the soldier and knocking him down with a volley of punches.

"I'm outta here!"

"Man!"

"Wanna go home!"

"My puppy!"

The whole place was in chaos, as the crowd turned chaotic, and worsened when the soldiers fired into the crowd.

"Mayday! Mayday!" one of the soldiers roared. "Zombies are pouring in! We can't-arrghh!"

One of the survivors bit into the soldier's left shoulder, as he tried to grab at the soldier's radio. The two went into a brawl, as the horde in the background started to overwhelm what remained of the soldiers.

"Mayday!" a soldier safe from the top of his watchtower roared into his own radio. "We have trouble here! The survivors raided into our base! Our weapons are compromised! Our safe zone is compromised, and-THEM!"

He hastily put his radio back in, as he aimed his sniper rifle at a new horde charging in. Civilians and survivors alike gasped, as they poured in. Although the horde was smaller than the whole base and the mob, they frightened everyone.

"Copy that!" a voice cracked through the radio. "What's your status?"

"Sir!" he roared into his radio. "How do you deal with these zombies?"

"Just shoot them in the head!" it replied.

"No!" he told it. "Their heads don't explode! They get killed in the chest or neck or something! And they are way stronger than zombies I've seen in movies and games!"

"Do what you can to survive," said the voice. "Help is coming."

"And who's shooting those planes down?" the soldier asked.

"Some hostile civilians with anti-air weapons," said the voice. "Hello? Hello? Soldier?"

The soldier did not reply, as he slumped down on the railing, a deep red hole in his forehead.

* * *

A figure that looked like an emaciated corpse stared down from the scope of its M40 rifle, its lipless teeth grinning and giggling as the soldier slumped down on the top floor of the tower. It then turned around, hissing as more of its comrades poured in.

A corpse on fire stormed in, setting fire to the tents after tents. Another fired icicles, piercing the soldiers and civilians alike. Yet another punched a power generator, and unleashed bolts of electricity that jumped into the already-frightened crowd.

Soldiers shot rounds after rounds into the crowd, human and zombie seeming to merge together. One of the soldiers suddenly dropped his gun.

"Keep firing!" one of the other told him.

"I realize we can't," he stammered. "Look, I know that one zombie."

"Who?" his friend retorted, then stopped cold. "No, I thought they couldn't..."

The already large horde of zombies stormed in, biting and beating into the humans. However, one of them stood out.

It looked like a human, but with black eyes, grayish-blue skin, and a strange tattoo-like marking on its forehead and cheeks. It looked up at the soldiers firing from the safety of their raised platform. It smiled.

"No way!" the soldier who tried to encourage his fellow mate to shoot cried out in horror, and dropped his gun just like his friend. "Commander! That's a..."

"A specter," the Commander shook. "The only zombie known to be immune to gunfire. Even our tanks could not kill it. No shell, no bullet, not even running it over...have ever killed a single **** specimen!"

"Specter?" a young soldier asked, staring in horror at the figure. "It looks like an alien from outer space!"

"It's not!" the Commander roared, and shouted into his radio. "Men! Keep shooting! Don't shoot at the Specter, the one that looks like an alien! It is NOT an alien!"

"How are we going to take it down!?" multiple soldiers roared; they trembled at the sight of the alien-like monstrosity, slowly but deliberately walking towards the platform. Zombies familiar and strange both charged into the base, tearing into any human quarry.

The Commander clicked a special button on his collar.

"Project Aqaba," he whispered into it. "Do you have the Chosen Ones?"

"We've captured a few," a voice mumbled through. "A supply of special guns will be coming."

"When?" he asked, then sighted a giant transport plane coming down.

"A C-17 Globemaster III!" one of them roared, as it dropped down a single crate. It then continued to fly, as multiple bullets and missiles fired into it. Fortunately, it barely made it out, flying into the safety of the dark gray clouds above.

"Men!" the Commander roared at a few men. "Get that crate ASAP! That's the only way to kill the Specter!"

"How did they get it so fast?" one of the soldiers asked, staying behind to fire at more zombies.

"I dunno!" said the Commander. "All I know is that they got _something_ from the Chosen Ones we've captured and sent hours ago..."

* * *

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **3:45PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Miho," Maho said, her voice trembling. She got up from her Tiger I, and rushed to Miho. The two sisters hugged each other silently, as they saw the onslaught in the distance.

Planes after planes bombed, as hundreds of high-rise buildings collapsed into the ground below. Helicopters after helicopters zoomed around like flies towards a corpse. Suddenly, some of the planes and helicopters went up in flames, and crashed down into the ground below.

The girls saw it all, far and near. Nearby the tracks, despite being safely away, the girls stared in horror as buildings after buildings burned, while civilians after civilians poured out, like poor rats trapped in a cage.

"See them?" Kay roared, her voice trembling. "I recognize all those aircraft! US Army! US Air Force! Navy! Coast Guard! Marine Corps! Even the..."

"Oh no," Jorge's voice cracked through the radio. "I've never seen so many aircraft in my life."

"Is it that _bad_ in Los Santos?" Erwin roared from the radio. "It sure looks worse than the Battle of Stalingrad."

"Or the Battle of Bull Run," remarked Oryou.

"Or the bombing of Nagasaki," Kay suddenly declared. Everybody in the radio went silent, then a massive explosion rocked them, as a cloud of smoke and fire rose up into a tall pillar in the distance. Two more followed suit.

"Oh..." Kay looked back and forth. "Oops, maybe?"

"Nothing like Chernobyl!" Katyusha roared from the radio.

"Hold on, girls!" Miho commanded, trying to calm everyone down. "I hope everything will be alright."

"Remember girls," said Jorge. "I don't know about you, but I do recall that you girls go to shrines in Japan, praying for blessings and all. If anything happens, find a church and pray. I hope that will be my best advice."

"Jorge!" said Martha through the radio. "Not just any church; a church is not always a building, you know!"

"I am telling them based on their experiences," said Jorge. "Remember? They're from Japan, not America."

"Oh!" Martha remembered. "Right! But remember to avoid highly populated churches, like those in cities. They could be overrun. Go to peaceful churches, even a single shrine with crosses."

"That's a better option," said Jorge.

"Mr. And Mrs. Wellington!" Momo roared from the radio. "Just tell us to go to churches for help, then go out! That's enough!"

"Same advice as you gave me," Miho said to Maho. "But church aside, who's gonna-"

"Incoming!" Jorge roared, as a trio of drones passed by.

"Predators again?" Sodoko moaned, as everyone ducked down and went up again.

"No!" Jorge called. "They're MQ-9 Reapers! Bigger and better versions of Predator!"

"And really good killers!" Maylee called out. "Miss Miho! Can I have a favor?"

"Right now?" both Miho and Jorge cried in response.

"I am not sure what happened to my friend!" she cried. "She's Liuyang!"

"Why do you even say now?" her father moaned. "We have three-lookout!"

The three Reapers started to fly back in, and aimed for the train. Suddenly, a massive formation of planes approached, forcing the flying trio to back off.

The girls stared up, as they had never seen so many planes all at once.

"Those are Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules!" Kay shouted, as she sighted a small number of gigantic aircraft flying by.

"Those are Strike Eagles, Falcons, Raptors, Hornets, and Lightning II planes!" Yukari yelled in delight, seeing volleys after volleys of distinctly shaped fighting aircraft zoom by.

Suddenly, massive sounds roared closer, as the girls watched a large number of helicopters of all kinds of shapes and sizes fly by the train.

"Man!" Alisa roared from the radio. "Those are Ospreys, Black Hawks, Apaches, and Chinooks!"

"Is Los Santos that really, REALLY bad?" asked Yuuki from the Rabbit Team nervously.

Everybody stared, as the large number of planes and helicopters eventually followed into the main centers of the city, while the train kept speeding into an outskirt of the same city.

"Girls!" Miho shouted. "Arm yourself! And Maylee, I promise to try and find your friend!"

"She's Liuyang!" Maylee began. "And let me tell you why-"

"Incoming!" Jorge roared again.

The same Reapers rose back from hiding, grim as the city. Jorge then charged out of the container, and went up to Miho.

"Miss Miho!" he yelled. "You're Chosen, right?"

"Uh, I guess?" she answered.

"Then let us help you!" he replied. "Maylee! Gabriel! Honey! Get ready!"

Miho initially did not realize what they were planning, but as Jorge put Maylee in front of Miho, she gasped.

"N-no!" Miho tried to convince them.

"We guess that those planes," he replied. "Are not really part of the military. Look at their insignia!"

Miho and the others looked. On the sides of the planes were a symbol. Miho squinted, noting that the symbol looked like a "T," except that it was stylized to look like three arrows that converge together to form a "T." Above the "T" was a picture of a droplet with a dot in the middle. Surrounding the whole sign was a perfect circle.

"See it?" Jorge asked. "That's an ankh sign! The 'T' is made of three red arrows, and the drop sign is white-lined with a blue dot in the middle! The whole circle surrounding it is white. That's the symbol of a secret organization that wants someone like you Chosen!"

"But why do they want me?" asked Miho. "Plus, how do you know them, and why are you trying to..."

"To sacrifice ourselves?" asked the family in unison. Maylee then hugged Miho.

"See you in Heaven," she said. Miho wept.

"Bye-bye!" the Wellingtons all cried out, as they jumped suddenly to the ground. "Be well!"

Miho kept weeping, as the three Reapers grimly focused on the family, escaping into the woods.

"N-no!" Erika screamed, as Gabriel and his family kept going. "Ga-Gabriel..."

"Apparently," said Mako, sniffing. "The family somehow knew enough of the Reapers to trick them into following them. And boy, they did."

A few seconds later, screams rang out in the distance, as the three robots hovered over their targets.

"No...Not again," Katyusha moaned from the radio. "Joshua, then now the whole Wellington family."

"The Orb, then all this secret organizationg thing!" Kay roared, audibly kicking a tank wall with her feet.

Maho silently but visibly punched on the turret of her tank, shaking at what had transpired. She then jumped over, and hugged Miho.

"Stay strong," she said, as Miho sobbed into her sister's shoulders.

"All good things must come to an end," Darjeeling sighed.

"Really?" Kay retorted. "It's no use crying over spilled milk."

"That actually sounds much better," Kinuyo chimed in from her turret. "But I apologize for not stopping them!"

"Noble sacrifice must be blown away," said Mika. "But I admit that was crazy."

"It was!" Anchovy moaned, slamming the turret with her crop. "And how bad could it get?"

"Miho!" Maho said, sobbing despite her sober face. "Whatever you do, be strong and very courageous. If even God is there for even a while, just take it!"

"If you snooze," said Darjeeling. "You lose."

BOOM!

A missile slammed just a few yards or meters away from where the last train car was, as a lone Reaper zoomed into view.

"Oh no," Darjeeling moaned, spilling her tea. "No, I did not..."

"It's not your fault," Miho said, sweating as the Reaper flew right alongside the train. "Girls, get ready! Leopon Team, get back into your tank?"

"Huh, why?" asked Nakajima.

"Just go!" she replied. "I have a feeling something bad will happen!"

Wasting no time, the Leopon girls ran and jumped into their Porsche Tiger, as the Reaper continued to fly at the same speed as the train. The Reaper then rotated its visible camera eye, first at the BT-42, then the next tank and up.

"Fire at it!" Katyusha roared. "Don't let it find Miho!"

Nonna rose up and aimed her AK-47, but the Reaper suddenly emitted a strange blue glow throughout.

"Oh no!" Miho suddenly sensed something bad. "Anglerfish! Hold me!"

Immediately, all four of her friends held unto Miho. The Reaper's glow then turned into an explosion of strange electric sparks; blue sparks then flew into all of the tanks and girls.

"AHHHH!" everyone except the Anglerfish Team screamed in agony.

"Girls!" Miho called from the radio. "You OK?"

"We're all safe!" Saori declared, as she and others looked quite normal.

"Th-that was taser!" Nonna's voice groaned, audibly dropping her AK. "Can't...move!"

"How-how was that...taser?" Katyusha groaned from the radio.

"Miporin!" said Saori. "How did you know?"

"Miho-san!" Hana and Mako both cried. "Th-thank you!"

"That was cool!" Yukari squealed. "How did you-"

"Give me a gun!" Miho commanded, as the Reaper approached closer and closer. Yukari handed her a Desert Eagle, and Miho stared, sweating as the Reaper just finished scanning the Rabbit Team's tank.

"Guess it detects the Chosen," said Mako, her normally nonchalant voice cracking with fear. "Make it quick!"

Miho then cocked her handgun.

Now, the Reaper scanned over the Tiger I, as Maho painfully forced herself to get out.

"Nobody..." she groaned. "Gets...my...sister!"

RRAAAWWWWRRRR!

A sudden voice exploded nearby an outskirt of the city, as everyone watched. Even the Reaper turned its eye around, ignoring Miho's tank to see the source, but it was too late.

A giant figure slammed into the Reaper, which crashed into the Tiger I. Maho dodged some flying shrapnel by mere inches, as she climbed back down, still moaning.

"Reaper...is...down!" Assam's voice cracked through the radio, as Miho peeked out more fully, her torso exposed. The Reaper was indeed down, its shiny body now a mangled mess. Yet whatever struck it was not to be seen.

"What was-" Miho began, but her jaws opened wide, as she saw the monster. It roared, then charged into something in the woods.

"Was...was I dreaming?" she pondered. "That was definitely an animal that saved us again. Wait, is that the same-"

RRRRAAAKKKK!

Another roar of a strange pitch echoed, as another being slammed into the train. This time, the train almost derailed, but maintained its steady course.

Miho stared at it, this time gasping.

"That's a zombie!" she screamed.

The zombie shook itself, standing up. It looked about six meters or 20 feet tall, and was covered in what looked like football gear, except more plated and with spikes on the shoulders and the helmet. It flexed, and then charged full-speed.

"Ahhhhh!" Mika, Aki, and Mikko inside their tank screamed, as the strange zombie slammed into the back of the train car. Miho and everybody else could tell that the train was going to derail at any moment. The train started to swerve.

"Get ready!" Miho told everyone. "Hang on-wait, are you all OK?"

"We're all OK now!" Maho and everybody else responded.

"Yikes!" Katyusha groaned. "That taser nova attack-thing was crazy!"

"Then get ready!" Miho screamed. "Because this will-oh no!"

The whole train shook, but not from the derailment. Another earthquake shook; even the zombie fell down, but quickly stood up to chase after the derailed train.

The train hissed and screamed, as its tracks started to burn and entire cars started to swerve.

Suddenly, as the zombie roared and charged, a silhouette of a beast charged in, knocking the zombie down. Miho recognized it as the same thing that killed the Reaper.

"Will the madness ever stop?" Katyusha roared.

"No," Miho said. "This is the beginning...of the end."

"Get ready!" Darjeeling's unusually high voice rang into the radio. "Because this IS the end!"

The train went literally off-course, as the couplers cracked and split apart. Now, the train cars started to throw off-course, as each tank rocked back and forth, trying to stay on.

"Hold on!" Maho screamed.

"This is bad-bad!" Darjeeling cried out.

"No!" Kay roared.

"It's too early to die!" Anchovy howled.

"I want mommy!" Katyusha screeched.

"It's shameful!" Kinuyo shrieked.

"It...is done," Mika said, then screamed.

Miho kept her head out, watching in horror as tank after tank was thrown out of the car, and rolling over and over. First, a strange organization tried to attack them. Then, they find unique zombies that tried to kill them. Worst of them all, an earthquake struck, and Miho knew what was going to happen.

"Hold on!" she roared. "And get ready again! We are-"

Miho stopped her command, and held onto the grab handles in her tank, as the Panzer IV tumbled and rolled over and over, screams and prayers filling her ears and her very mind and heart.

"It's the end," said Miho under her breath. "God, help us."

* * *

 **We have now crossed the Rubicon. From Chapter 11 and on, the heroes will now feature in separate, "branching" stories. "Girls Dead Rise" will continue, focusing on Miho and her closest teams and friends.**

 **For most of the other Oarai teams and schools, they get to feature in their own stories! This is the reason why this chapter was so long; that way, the story will "branch" off into multiple plots, but this "Girls Dead Rise" will feature the epic finale at the end.**

 **So, this means that you all readers can now contribute! Which teams and/or schools should feature in their own plot? Should Miho's team in its own story, or others come into play?**

 **I give a quick shout-out to SuperSwanky69 for his help with the first scene. Check out his story "Blood vs. Iron" for a story of a different type of apocalypse!**

 **I also give a shout-out to two of my friends on FanFiction, who gave me their story submissions! If you want to be named (crediting you here) in honor, let me know.**

 **"GDR: Finnish Fury" is out now! It is one of two story submissions that will appear!**

 **And to everyone who reviewed, liked, and followed my story, THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

 **Panzer and survive vor!**


	11. Chapter 11: Double Trouble

**Fellow readers, this story is back! I, SeekerMeeker, have finally finished this chapter. After taking a break and some work on a new spin-off story, this story is finally on!**

 **As usual, please review, like, follow, or do whatever you can to promote this story!**

 **Get ready! Let's panzer vor!**

 **Note: This chapter features two very important scenes, so get ready...**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 11: Double Trouble**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **4:00 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Wake up," a deep voice boomed.

"Mm? Oh..." Miho woke up, glad to be so. She shook her head vigorously, her back aching. She touched herself, feeling for any bruises, bumps, and scratches. She sighed relief; she had none.

"I am starting to get tired of dreams," she moaned, touching her head lightly. "Can't believe I had another one right after the earthquake. And that voice..."

Shaking her head, Miho looked around. Despite the relative darkness, enough lights filtered through the cracks in the hatches and doors to illuminate a little of the interior. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, she felt that everything looked quite serene.

"It feels like a dream here," Miho mused. "Dreams...earthquake-everyone!"

She snapped out of her trance, and looked around again. She suddenly noticed silhouettes of familiar people...

"Saori-chan!" she called out. "Hana-chan! Yukari-chan! Mako-chan!"

Silence followed for a few seconds, as Miho held her breath.

Nobody seemed to answer at first.

"A-anyone?" she gasped.

Finally, she heard a sound.

"Oh..." Saori groaned, cracking her sore back. "What happened?"

"That was...strangely strange," Hana replied with a mystical air, as if in a trance.

"Oh man!" Yukari shook, tidying up her hair. "What was that? I had a dream..."

"Let me sleep..." Mako moaned.

"Mako!" Saori roared. "If you do, then what will happen to your grandma?"

"EH?!" Mako suddenly screamed, banging her head unto the ceiling. "Ouch!"

Miho sighed, greatly relieved.

"You guys..." she began, but stopped because tears flowed from her cheeks, drenching her dry lips in her bittersweet water.

"Where are the lights?" Saori cried out.

"Calm down," Hana reassured her. "I am sure we're fine as a flower..."

Miho tilted her head, wondering whether Hana was still asleep.

"Finer than fine, this?" Saori retorted. "I am sure you're fine as a flower! Because I just wanna go home and sleep and eat and be happy and-"

"Saori!" Miho firmly said.

"Mi-Miporin?" she blinked. "Oh...Sorry, Hana-chan. I guess...I guess I lost my cool."

"Huh?" Hana finally woke up. "Oh, it's OK, Takebe-san. I don't exactly know what happened, but I am OK."

Saori sighed in relief.

"Are you alright?" Miho asked.

"I am fine," Hana said, smiling back. "I wonder how much will I eat if I become a zombie? Hmm?"

Everyone else looked in the direction of Hana, confused by her talk.

"Ahem!" Miho cleared her throat, in order to change the mood. "So...are you all OK?"

"I am fine," said Saori, smiling. "Just some bruises and hits on the head?"

"I feel another bump on my head," Hana mused. "I wonder if Heaven feels like that..."

"Hana?" asked Miho, giggling. "You are starting to sound like Mika-san."

"Maybe she rubbed on me," she continued dreamily.

"I am great as ever!" Yukari declared, saluting in the dark. "Let's get through this!"

"I am here still," grunted Mako. "But I am...yeah, sleepy."

"No sleeping!" Saori hissed.

"OK, girls," Miho began. "Now that you all are alright, let's-wait, EVERYONE!"

Miho screamed, as she fixed her radio.

"Saori!" she commanded. "Is the radio working?"

Saori checked her transmissions.

"Eh?" she looked. "Oh no! The transmissions are blocked! I think our system is down!"

"I am going out," Miho said, opening her hatch slightly. "I need to see everyone else."

"Be careful!" Saori warned her, as Miho started to open her door more.

She lifted the hatch, and looked around.

Her heart sank.

"Oh no..."

* * *

 **Project Aqaba Management Center**

 **Hidden Location**

 **San Diego, California, USA**

 **4:00 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Sir."

"Report."

"Once again, we still cannot find the Orb."

"And the Chosen Ones?"

"We caught some 4,501 of them."

"Hmm."

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"Mind if I ask now?"

"Just say it, Samson."

"Why do we have to...put some of them down?"

"In order to create weapons to kill Specters and specific zombies."

"But can't we just...extract the energy from them?"

"Unfortunately, you know what's the only way to extract that power..."

"Man, that hurts. I've heard enough of girls screaming in agony..."

"I can say this, only because I trust you, Samson."

"Yes..."

"And we need the Chosen, in order to power up our detectors to find the Orb's energy field, too."

"Yes, but speaking of energy, some of the Chosen Ones seem stronger than others."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I honestly think it's due to that prophecy..."

"Stop that nonsense."

"But the Chosen Ones are crazy enough; they are strong and... _magical_."

"If you say that to the modern world, they will call you a lunatic."

"Yes, sir."

"So, any news of Maho and the Senshadou groups?"

"Oh yes! We found the Senshadou train missing, and managed to track it down."

"And?"

"Unfortunately, our drones were neutralized."

"Samson, of course the girls will view them as threats!"

"Sorry, sir."

"Hmm."

"But we have a major breakthrough."

"Sorry?"

"Here is the latest map showing the strange 'auras' of sort emanating from the Chosen Ones."

"Why this?"

"Well, we've noticed an unusual number of auras from this specific railroad, and one of them is particularly notable."

"Wait a minute...Samson!"

"Yes?"

"Call down the Omega Squad Four."

"Yes-wait, WHAT?! That force?!"

"Remember the tracker that shows that one of the Senshadou girls is Touched?"

"Yes?"

"She's no ordinary Touched; she's now Chosen. Get her!"

"Are you sure she's it?"

"Better get her than nothing, now move it!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Samson saluted his boss, and quickly moved out, carefully closing the double doors behind. They creaked, then closed with a thud, echoing ominously throughout the darkened room, a single bulb dimly glowing in the dark. The man sighed, as he put his hands together, thinking.

"That girl," said the man, his ominous, square, black glasses flashing. "Could be it...no way...I have seen hundreds of them already..."

He stood up, fixing his black suit and a strange emblem in place of his tie: an ankh with a red "T," a blue loop, and a single black dot in the middle of the loop. A perfect, white circle enveloped the whole ankh, while the edge was black.

"Ahem!" he coughed. "Agent Singh."

A robust, giant man with an orange turban and thick, black beard stomped in. Floors creaked and moaned under his weight.

"Yes?" he grunted. "Master Nick?"

"Singh," said Nick. "Take off your turban and uniform."

"Eh?" he asked.

"Change it into this," Nick said, handing him a new batch of clothing, which had a green camouflage color to it.

"Wait a second!" Singh objected. "This is..."

"Yes," Nick said. "In order to cover our tracks, we have to foil the US government somehow, and one way is to trick them..."

"Hmmph!" Singh grunted, who then took the set. "I will do my duty. The fun has just begun, eh?"

"Yes, Singh," said Nick. "The fun has just-"

"Attention!" a voice boomed from a screen, which appeared out from the ceiling. The sleek, futuristic screen hovered in the room, its bright, white light radiating out towards the two men.

"News reports?" asked Singh.

"This must be significant," said Nick, reclining on his seat. "For it to show this."

"This is Christian News Report!" declared a beautiful, blond woman with a robust posture. "I am Emma Wellington, and we have the latest report!"

"Odd," Singh mumbled. "Of all the news anchors, our Artificial Intelligence considers this to be important."

"Why?" asked Nick.

"It's Christian news!" Singh retorted, rolling his eyes. "What do they care about California?"

"We've got an anonymous tip," said Emma. "From some people in California, which is now on full lockdown, due to a reported epidemic on par with that of the Ebola outbreak back in West Africa. According to our tip, and further research, the US government and the Japanese government now have a huge presence off of the Californian coast!"

Nick straightened up, watching the news.

"This sounds crazy!" said Emma. "Even I question this at first, but my boss told me that this news could disrupt everything that we know! We have three key pieces of information to reveal to the world, right here, right now!"

Nick reclined again.

"Hopefully not something trivial," Nick mumbled, while Singh nodded in silent agreement.

"One," Emma said, looking at a piece of paper. "California has a mysterious barrier of solid rock or something that is keeping everyone, and everything, inside California. Humans and animals alike have been seen entering it, but not leaving the border of California."

"Odd," Nick said. "Not too surprised, since that barrier will eventually be known."

"Two," Emma continued. "We have reports of the US government sending in its largest and most powerful weapons into the coasts of California! Two Nimitz and two Ford-class aircraft carriers are sighted just off from the shores of Hawaii and even Baja Mexico, moving towards the state!"

Nick straightened up, staring at the news.

"This sounds a little bad," said Singh, smoothing his beard.

"Four carriers are not enough," Nick commented. "But I am interested if they..."

"Oh!" Emma said with a start. "There is one! Rumor has it that the US government has been constructing a secret weapon; well, it is finally here: the Nephilim-class carrier."

Nick blinked, and sighed with a facepalm.

"The Nephilim-class," Nick grunted. "Finally, they reveal that to the world, months after we found out it. It's amazing, though. Bigger than any ship known; even the school ships do not approach it in size."

"The colossal ship," said Emma. "Finally sets sail, and is only miles away from California, specifically from the southern coasts. Oh, and one more part of this: eight school ships from Japan are moving towards California!"

"Ah," Singh grunted. "So, we heard about carriers from both sides coming in before; we intercepted a message from the JSF Commander Ship about it. It's true, after all."

"To save their Senshadou teams, huh?" Nick said casually. "Hmph! What's the value in those Japanese teens?"

"And last but not least," Emma declared. "This is perhaps the craziest of them all!"

Nick and Singh both glanced at the news anchor.

"If proven true," said Emma. "The epidemic crisis in California is unlike anything we've ever heard. We've heard of civil unrest, but the craziest of them is this! We've heard that the epidemic somehow alters a few girls. Only girls are affected; those affected become super-powerful and perform impossible feats of magic and miracles! They are called the Chosen Ones-"

BOOM!

The hovering screen broke into static, crackling and moaning as a bullet hole through it caused it to drop to the ground. Emma's voice and image went static, but was barely visible enough for her to say a few clear words:

"The US gov learned of this," she continued. "From a whistleblower who only goes by the name of Joshua. Apparently, he survived long enough to spread the news to the outside-"

"Enough!" Singh roared, stomping the electronic screen with his bulletproof, all-purpose boots. His Desert Eagle gun still smoked a little.

Nick stood up from his desk, fists clenched. Then, he punched his own desk, creating a crack on his right side. His right fist had a few bleeding wounds.

"Idiots!" Nick raged. "Can't believe that those secret lab people-ugh! A few of them did survive, after all!"

He pressed a button on his desk.

"Yes?" Samson's voice answered.

"Samson," Nick growled. "Double the Omega Squad Four."

"Double the-what? What happened, sir?" Samson asked.

"The world now knows," he answered. "About the Chosen Ones."

"The Chosen-wait, how is that possible?" Samson asked.

"Nevermind that," Nick gritted his teeth. "Get that girl!"

"Just her?" Samson asked.

"Yes!" he answered. "Because she's the ONE who turned others into Chosen!"

"A Chosen with the power to turn others into Chosen?!" Samson blurted. "How-how is that possible?"

"Just get her ASAP!" Nick roared. "If you fail, you know the consequences..."

"Un-understood!" Samson stuttered. "Samson, out."

"Singh," Nick turned to face him. "Get that girl as well."

He handed him a clipboard with the picture and information about his target.

"I forgot to give Samson the other clipboard," said Nick. "But I trust that he should know what he's looking for. Now, go!"

Singh silently saluted Nick, and marched out. Nick then sat down, putting hands on his head, partially in a face palm.

"I can't believe it," Nick groaned. "PAMC, our organization, our future, now...in jeopardy. All because of this freaky incident of a girl who somehow can turn others into Chosen...and now, somehow, the whole world now knows, thanks to this same girl."

"Sir!" Samson called out again from his radio. "How-how is it possible that this single girl could be so much trouble?"

"She somehow not only can change others into Chosen," said Nick. "But also has met at least one of the lab people. She must have met Joshua Cracker, one of the guards who somehow survived long enough to expose the project to the world. Now, we are in danger. We MUST get that girl, before she causes any more harm to us!"

"And if not?" asked Samson.

"She may," Nick growled. "Even create a new land."

"That powerful?" Samson asked. "Wait-what?! How's that possible?"

"Just go!" Nick roared.

"Yes...sir," Samson answered. "Samson, out."

After the radio turned off, Nick fidgeted on his cold, dark brown desk. He then punched it again, reopening his wounds on the right fist.

"Hmm..." he growled, as he pushed a button. A silent nurse immediately entered, and bandaged his wounds. She then wiped the desk clean of the blood, bowed down, and walked away, more like a robot than a living human.

"That girl..." he growled. "She's more than meets the eye. Even her sister pales in comparison...I should not have underestimated them."

He then held out the clipboard, and glared at the girl.

The picture showed image of a medium-sized Japanese girl, with short, light brown hair that looks somewhat orange. Her light brown eyes had the glint of uncommon kindness. She was holding a red-and-gold flag, flying it around with her teams, a small but genuine smile on her soft, fair face.

"Who are you? And what have you done?" Nick growled at her. "Nishizumi Miho..."

* * *

 **Uh oh, so this sounds epic, huh?**

 **So, this story is finally taking off again!**

 **I give a shout-out to SuperSwanky69, aGuestfromGreece45, and SovietKitty for their contribution to helping me to get back on track!**

 **In the meantime, panzer vor!**


	12. Chapter 12: The Awakening

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker! Two chapters in one week? Yes, I guess I got into this story now. Furthermore, the chapters are quite short right now; I want to gradually build up from here, after the Chapter 10. Chapter 10 was in a way, the "end" of one arc, and the beginning of a new one. Chapter 11 and onward will focus on Miho and her teams, as they venture out and find new things beyond their wildest imaginations...**

 **In this chapter, I will try out something unusual (a little writing experiment), to see whether it will be useful. Read this, and please review (not just PM me, but review it), like, follow, or do whatever you can to spread this! I also give you all readers full permission to post the link to the story, so that your other friends and even family can read and help me out. Thank you!**

 **Note: I am not changing my writing drastically; I am just trying out a unique scene here, in order to hint at what the Chosen Ones can do...sort of.**

 **So then, let's go!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 12: The Awakening**

 **Derailed Train**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **4:15 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"This is impossible..." Miho gasped.

Her tank was on a gentle slope of sand and dirt, eroded from what remained of the railroad, now a mangled mess of bent steel and splintered wood, looking rather like a war-torn rollercoaster. Cracks and fissures dotted the immediate vicinity, exposing dry and wet layers of the earth below. The train itself was beyond repair; the cars were thrown everywhere, the couplers detached and broken. Some cars were overturned, while others seemed to have just slid down the slopes. The intermodal container, which housed the girls' goods from the warehouse before, had its locks broken and bent beyond repair; although the container was intact, Miho could tell that they needed a strong battering ram or a special cutter just to open the doors. The locomotive's own engine front was exploded, which meant that it could not be used at all, not to mention that it was mangled as well. However, that was nothing compared to what Miho realized, and it was her worst feeling...

"Friends," Miho whispered. "I-I don't...see anyone out here."

"What are you talking about?" Saori roared, as she exited out of her hatch. "We were ALL together, you know!"

"This is odd," said Hana, opening her own hatch to check the surroundings. "Wait...where is everyone?"

"This is crazy!" Yukari yelled, opening her hatch and gasping at the scene. "We're...we're alone?!"

"Did they leave us?" asked Mako nonchalantly. "But that makes no sense..."

"And there are no tracks indicating that our friends left us behind," Hana noted. "In fact, I see no tracks at all, and there is no sign of rain either."

"And look," Mako said, her voice trembling a little. "Cracks everywhere...Not big enough to swallow tanks, but sure can be..."

She trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

"Don't think about it!" Saori cried out. "That sounds depressing!"

"Calm down," Hana said. "Our friends are smart enough to avoid the tremors; we survive, so they can."

"But still," Yukari said in a low voice. "Our friends...We see no one...And we're alone again?"

"That crazy earthquake!" Saori roared. "All that Orb thing and magic and all! It's driving me nuts! This is crazy beyond belief!"

Saori banged the tank with her fists, sobbing.

"Calm down," both Miho and Hana told her. Miho went in and put her right hand on Saori's left shoulder, who sighed in a flash.

"T-thanks," Saori said. "I-I guess I lost myself there."

"You're not the only one," Miho said. "I am...scared of what happened to others."

"Speaking of that," Mako stuttered. "Re-remember back in Los Angeles? How we were all separated?"

"Separated?" asked Saori. "How?"

Miho gasped.

"The depressions!" she replied. "Each tank and team was in its own depression, then we all managed to unite together."

"And that happened after an earthquake," Mako stammered. "And now...this."

The girls stared at their surroundings. Sure enough, there were no other tanks around, and no girl in sight. All they saw was some buildings nearby, separated by a large swath of forest and vegetation. They saw bonfires, zombies, and shootouts nearby, as echoes of screams, roars, and gunfire resonated.

"And no tanks," Yukari gasped, her eyes blank.

"Is the Orb playing pranks on us?!" Saori yelled, banging her fists again. "I am tired of magic! I want boys, I want tanks, not something crazy like magic!"

"Guess we now live in a world of magic," Hana mused. "Which means..."

"We may have to understand and live abide by this new world," said Miho. "And its strange laws and rules...which include the fact that we now have to survive..."

"...against the zombies," Saori and Mako both stuttered.

"...against other hostile humans," Yukari and Hana both replied, sweating.

"...and worst of all," said Miho, coughing. "That mysterious organization called the PAMC."

The girls were silent. They knew little of the PAMC, other than what they learned from both their previous experiences, and from especially their encounter with Joshua Cracker. From that, they deduced that the PAMC was a sort of secret, private organization that messed with the mysterious object called the Orb. Whatever it was, the Orb got angry and caused the apocalypse.

"Then," Miho said, tapping her open left palm with her right fist. "This is not the fault of the Orb; it is ultimately the fault of the PAMC."

"Those monsters," Mako growled. "If I was braver, I could punch them or so."

"Or shoot them if we are justified," Hana whispered. Although she shivered at the thought, Miho could tell by her eyes that she was willing to do so if necessary.

"What are we going to do, then?" Saori asked, still a little on edge.

"What about the US government?" asked Yukari. "Can't they..."

Yukari stopped cold, as all five girls watched the sky. A lone civilian helicopter apparently was flying, overloaded with humans trying to escape. A Burner zombie was hanging by its right arm on the aircraft's left landing skid. The girls gasped, as they realized that a few of the humans onboard held their arms and necks, hiding their apparent bite wounds.

Suddenly, a lone F-35 flew, and without warning fired a missile, and hit the helicopter dead-on. The girls turned their gazes away, wincing at the sight; bodies and shrapnel rained down to the war-torn world below.

"Man..." Yukari groaned. "Are we..."

"Guess we have to," mumbled Hana. Even she shuttered.

"That plane," said Yukari. "I remember seeing the US Air Force emblem on it..."

"Good thing you're here," Saori groaned, gripping Miho's right hand with her left. "I really want to go home..."

Tears flowed out of her eyes, as the others stared at their leader. Miho inhaled, then exhaled deeply and carefully.

"But do you have to..." Saori trailed off, noticing a skirmish nearby. Miho and the others used their binoculars or other telescoping devices to watch.

Apparently, three factions were fighting: two human, and one zombie. Zombies were killing humans indiscriminately left-to-right, while the two human factions were attacking each other. Apparently, one was a police force, while the other was a gang.

Zombies killing humans...

Police killing gangs...

Gangs killing police...

Police killing zombies...

Gang killing zombies...

"Girls," Miho sighed, but cleared her throat. "I know that we do not want to kill humans, but remember: killing and murder are not the same thing. We'll avoid killing, but killing is not wrong if done right, as in punishing someone for wrongdoing. However, I think we have to...find a place to calm ourselves down."

"Can't those two get along?!" Saori groaned. "Police or gang, if you're human, just work together! This is apocalypse, not some riot or something!"

"Well," Yukari groaned. "The zombie world brings out the best and worst in all of us..."

"Any shrines here?" stammered Mako. "Or even churches? Any place to give us a sense of peace for the gods? I will even pray to the American God, if that helps to give me peace..."

"There!" Yukari suddenly called out, pointing.

The others looked, and saw an information kiosk in the distance. It looked like a giant gazebo, turret-shaped and strikingly resembling a fortified tower. However, it was white and gilded to look attractive; unfortunately, it bore the scars of vandalism and violence, as it featured cracked glasses, litter, and worst of all, bloodstains.

"It looks deserted," said Hana. "And that's no church."

"But it should have brochures!" Yukari stated. "We can use that to find the churches around! Not all churches look like 'churches'; some should be safer than others, too!"

"Maybe," Hana said. "We can even find Japanese shrines here! I remember seeing large numbers of Japanese here."

"But that kiosk looks scary," Mako moaned. "Some of those bloodstains are still fresh and bright red..."

"Let's go and check," said Miho. "We don't know this city, so searching for some information is better than ignorance."

The others agreed, nodding.

"Then," Miho began. "Let's get ready..."

She noticed a ribbon of light, but instead kept her composure. A wave of dizziness struck her head, but Miho refused to let it show.

"...and go," she finally replied with confidence. The others, oblivious to Miho's predicament, complied and revved up the engine. The Panzer coughed, then roared as its engine moved. It slowly then more quickly gained speed, leaving the railroad and the intermodal container behind (which surprisingly was still closed and locked). The tank ran down the slope, and bulldozed through the thick vegetation, as vines and bushes alike groaned and cracked under the pressure.

"Good," said Miho, as the ribbon of light approached. "I better...be ready...what's this going to be...another...dream?"

Unknown to her friends, Miho closed her eyes, but her body somehow kept situated on top of the hatch, as if awake. The only sign of her sleeping was her closed eyes, unaware that something was watching her from afar...

* * *

 **Knighthawk Helicopter**

 **A few miles south of San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **3:45 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Where am I?" Miho wondered.

She found herself in a helicopter, sitting on a bench. Miho recognized the helicopter as a variant of the MH-60S, or a type of Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk. She looked out, and realized that it was flying above an ocean, which Miho speculated was the Pacific Ocean.

In front of her were two women who looked familiar, while next to her-

"Alice!" Miho cried out, reaching out to wake the sleeping girl. Her hands slipped through, and gasped.

"Oh..." she realized. "I am in a dream, just like before, but this time, it feels so...real, as if I am in the same timeline."

She watched Alice. She still had her usual grayish-blond hair, tied by black ribbons. A blanket with Boko images covered the little girl. Miho smiled.

"Sleep well," Miho said. "Wait, it's not night."

She then turned around, and observed the two women sitting across on another bench.

"Azumi and Rumi," Miho noted. "And Megumi...must be piloting this?"

"How is she doing?" Megumi's voice echoed from the pilot's seat.

"Yes," Miho nodded. "Huh? Oh, she's-"

"She's asleep," replied Aumi. "Like an angel."

Miho blinked.

"She's so cute," whispered Rumi. "Isn't she? And she's our commander, too!"

"Not to mention we lost," Azumi said, shrugging. "But at least Oarai is open again, so we can fight them again."

The two women squealed in delight. Miho tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

"Speaking of Oarai," said Rumi. "I wonder how-"

"I wonder how Miho is doing..." Alice suddenly mumbled, her eyes still closed as she laid down on her bench. Her voice drew the attention of both the women and Miho, surprised at her response.

"I wonder how Miho is doing," Alice repeated in her sleep. She instinctively pulled her blanket over, as a gust of cold wind burst through the open windows.

"Brrr!" Megumi shivered, as she flew the helicopter. "I have full uniform on, and it's cold! Isn't it summer in California?"

"It's cold?" Azumi asked, and sneezed.

"Put your undershirt on," Megumi moaned.

"I am good," she curtly replied.

"Interesting," Rumi mused, reading some magazines and travel books. "According to these, California has something called 'microclimates.' Although California has a climate like that of Greece and Italy, different areas can have startlingly different temperature ranges, even in the same locations.

"Is that due to all these clouds and fogs?" Megumi asked. "Because I want to fly faster, but all these clouds are blocking my vision!"

"Better safe than sorry," Miho said, and noticed that the girls did not hear her.

"We can't fly any faster anyway," said Azumi. "Helicopter is low on fuel too, right?"

"Hey!" Megumi retorted. "I am the pilot here! I know how to fly this thing!"

"Please," Miho said, forgetting that they could not hear her. "Calm down..."

"Hey," Azumi said. "I just noticed that whoever rode this did not fill the tank."

"Is that why the helicopter is there at the ship?" Rumi mused. "It sure sounds odd for an American aircraft to be onboard a Japanese ship..."

"Why?" Azumi asked. "You racist or something?"

"No," Rumi groaned, a little annoyed. "It's odd to see it, in my opinion."

"But the clouds are just sick!" Megumi retorted.

"You can't blame the clouds," Miho said, sweating.

"Stop complaining!" Azumi groaned.

"You stop talking!" Rumi blurted out.

"You? Me?" Azumi growled.

"Gi-girls!" Miho said, trying to resolve the dispute. "Stop-oh, they cannot hear me!"

"And I am pilot here!" Megumi began. "And you two have no-"

"Miho..."

All three stopped their heated talk, and Rumi and Azumi both looked straight at their sleeping commander. Megumi used a mirror on the control to glance at her. Miho also watched.

"Miho..." Alice moaned. "Where are you... Miho...I am sorry to leave you..."

The three women stayed silent, listening.

"Miho..." Alice said, crying. "I wish I can help you...I don't want to be alone...Hmm..."

A single tear dripped down from her right eye, cascading down into her left, before flowing down into the pillow. It made a wet mark on the picture of a Boko bear, as if the bear was crying.

"I am sorry..." Alice sobbed. Azumi silently pulled the blanket over her, keeping her warm. Rumi then fixed the pillow. Suddenly, Megumi threw something, which Azumi noticed and caught with her left hand.

"Oh..." she realized, and put it into Alice's hands. On instinct, Alice grabbed and hugged the doll between her chest.

"How did you get that?" Azumi asked.

"She loves Boko," Megumi smirked. "Why not bring it?"

Alice then smiled, and started to make a few cute snoring noises.

"Sweet dreams," the women whispered.

"I sight land," Megumi said.

"Just keep flying," Azumi replied. "I hope we find somewhere safe, to refuel and all."

"Safe like Wonderland, right?" Rumi joked.

The others smiled, and all three giggled, oblivious to Alice dreaming, while a magenta ribbon of light floated by her head.

"Oh!" Miho said. "I wonder..."

She then approached Alice, and touched her head with her right hand. Suddenly, the ribbon of light flashed, and Miho lost her sight.

* * *

"What?" Miho asked, looking around. "What happened?"

She found herself in a grassy plain, dotted with beautiful meadow flowers and colossal, majestic trees.

"Oak trees," Miho noted. "I have never seen such giant ones, not even in Japan."

Although no bird or insect sang, a breeze blew gently, humming in the serenity of the landscape. The Sun shone, smiling down upon the world. Miho breathed, and smiled.

"Nice world," she began. "I wonder-"

Suddenly, she noticed that the trees and grasses started to wither. Trees dropped their fresh, green leaves prematurely, while the flowers wilted. Clouds started to taint the azure sky, and blocked out the Sun's smile. The wind stopped blowing. Miho shivered.

"Huh?" Miho blurted out. "What's-wait!"

She looked around, the landscape now darkened. The green waves of blooms and grasses gave way to sickly brown plains. The lack of wind did not help; the land now looked more like desert than real meadow.

Suddenly, she noticed someone.

"Alice!" she ran towards her.

* * *

"Ouch!" Alice found herself on a grassy plain. Behind her, a small tunnel then closed in, disappearing in a heap of dirt and clay.

"Please," she moaned. "What...where am I?"

"Find her."

"Huh?"

She looked around. All she saw was the same plain, with beautiful meadow flowers and colossal trees dotting the landscape. Behind her, where the tunnel was, a looming cliff towered over the little girl. She clutched her Boko doll tight.

"Find her..." Alice mused. "Mi-Miho?"

She suddenly saw a girl in the distance, and she ran towards her. Just then, she tripped, and dropped her doll.

"Boko!" she tried to get up, but something restrained her. She looked back, and gasped as a vine suddenly wrapped around her.

"Whe-where did that the thing appear?!" she yelled. "Miho!"

She did not seem to hear her.

"You feel chained, aren't you?" a voice echoed ominously.

"Y-yes-wait, who are you?" she asked at the mysterious voice.

She saw Miho in the distance, who seemed oblivious to her.

"Mi-Miho!" she called out again, but Miho appeared to not hear her.

"You feel chained, aren't you?" the voice echoed again.

"I-I..." Alice struggled, but the vine mysteriously tied her down. She fell down, and suddenly blacked out.

"Miho..." she muttered.

* * *

Miho ran towards Alice in the distance.

"What is this place?" she pondered, as she saw flowers and trees wither from left to right. She continued to run towards the fallen body of Alice.

"She feels chained," a voice echoed.

"Alice?" she asked, but kept running.

"Alice feels chained," the voice answered. "Go and help her."

"But first," the same voice boomed.

Miho blinked, and gasped as her body held suspended in mid-air, as if frozen in time.

"Eh?" Miho reacted with a start, although her body could not move. "What is this?"

"Sorry if I have to interrupt," said the voice.

"Who are you?"

"You do not need to know," said the voice. "But I have a question: do you want to go back?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want to go back?" the voice asked. "You may not know it, but you are unconscious. See, you have the opportunity."

"Wait-wait!" she interjected. "I am...confused. I am just running to help Alice and all!"

"You are now standing in a world," said the voice. "That I have made."

"Who...who are you?" she asked.

"You will know," said the voice. "When the time is right. Now, if you stay here, then you are ready for Heaven."

Miho blinked. She calmed down, and looked around. She now sensed something behind her, but whenever she turned around, it disappeared.

"Hmm..." Miho wondered. She kept turning around and around clockwise, until she made a sudden move to turn counterclockwise. Sure enough, she noticed a ribbon of magenta light.

"Clever," the voice declared, a bit of amusement in its tone. "However, if you want to save your friends, your school, even your family...reach out to Alice, and you will wake up."

"Wait!" Miho interjected. "Am-am...am I dead?"

"No," the voice said. "But you are unconscious, using something of a rarity even among the Chosen Ones."

"So..." Miho thought. "That means that you're giving me two choices: to go to Heaven or afterlife, or come back into the real world."

"Correct," said the voice. "Very correct."

"But why me?" she asked. "And what do you mean by 'rarity'?"

"You used a power," said the voice. "That allows you some limited contact with other Chosen Ones, like a telephone network."

"Is...Alice Chosen?" she asked.

"No," it replied. "But you can make her Chosen. That's why you can reach out to her. But if you do, she will have to stay here for now."

"But why?"

"You will know," the voice boomed. "But not now. So, do you want to go to Heaven, or go save her?"

"Go save her," Miho answered without hesitation.

"Hmm?" the voice asked. "So quick? I am amazed at your sudden decision. If you do, you will still live in the apocalypse."

"I know," Miho answered. "But my friends are there. If I go, then they die."

"They won't," the voice said.

"But my school is there. If I go, then it will die."

"They won't. The school and its classmates are alive and well."

"But my family is there. If I go, then they..."

"Your mother has not much sympathy for you; she favors Maho over you."

"I know," said Miho, clutching her chest. "But...to be honest, I want to see okaasan again."

"Your mother?"

"Yes," she said.

"Why?"

"She's still my mother," said Miho. "After all, she took care of me, so I should respect her and...forgive her, I guess?"

"But you don't have to," the voice reasoned. "Just go to Heaven, and all your problems are solved."

" **MY** problems are solved," Miho admitted. "But not others..."

"Nishizumi Miho-dono," the voice boomed.

Miho blinked and straightened up. The voice's change in tone startled her; in Japan, the way the voice delivered its words made her realize that the voice meant business. Furthermore, she realized that she could now move; her body was freed.

"You have answered well," said the voice. "Very well. In fact, to be honest, you were one of the very few who were outright honest with me."

"Sorry?" she asked. "But I am just saying from the bottom of my heart."

"Don't worry," said the voice. "So, are you ready to go save her?"

"Yes!" she replied. "Just say the word, and I should be there, right?"

"Right."

"Then panzer vor!" she replied, raising her right hand in a fist.

"Very well," the voice said; Miho sensed a smile from that voice.

"Very well. Before you wake up, you have a guest."

"Sorry?"

"Look."

Miho's head suddenly turned around, as if somebody touched her head to turn. She blinked, as she stared at a strange man.

He had tanned skin.

He had a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and a red cap on.

He had a smile, a strange one that made Miho feel...peaceful.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am that voice," he replied, smiling.

His eyes met hers, and Miho saw him disappear.

"Strange..." Miho said. "But I admit...these dreams are starting to annoy me."

"Miho...?"

Miho turned around, and saw Alice waking up.

"Alice!" she cried, reaching out. "You OK?"

"The vines..." she moaned.

Without hesitation, Miho yanked at the vines. Strong at first, the vines started to creak and crack. Finally, with one pull, the vines ripped out, and Alice stood up, panting.

"You OK?" Miho asked her, patting her.

"I am actually fine," she replied. "But what are...where are..."

Suddenly, everything started to be fuzzy, and the girls felt an earthquake happening. The clouds darkened, and the wind suddenly blew hard.

"Before I go!" Miho yelled. "I am somewhere in Los Santos! We're trying to find our friends! Come there if you can!"

"Wait!" Alice began. "Why Los-"

Suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

"Huh?"

Alice woke up with a start. She looked around, getting up.

"Alice!" Azumi and Rumi both said, getting up and approaching her. "You OK?"

"Commanders," Alice shook herself, and put up a serious face. "I am fine. But listen."

"Yes?" Azumi and Rumi responded.

"You too," she told Megumi.

"I am listening!" Megumi called out.

"We're going to Los Santos," she replied.

"What?" the three asked.

"We're going there," she replied. "We'll find Miho there."

"Uh..." the women began. "OK."

Megumi directed the helicopter, and flew down south. They sighted something orange and glowing, reaching over a body of water.

"The Golden Gate Bridge!" all four noted.

Alice stared at it, then turned to look south.

"Miho," she said. "We're coming there."

"We need fuel," said Megumi.

"Do you see a helipad with refueling station?" Alice asked.

"Based on this military map," Rumi said, eyeing it. "There should be one at the end of the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Go!" Alice yelled.

"Roger!" Megumi answered, as the helicopter descended down. The Golden Gate Bridge radiated a bright glow, illuminated by the Sun above. Its famous orangish color appeared brighter than usual; Alice felt happy.

As the helicopter flew down, however, Alice and the others noticed that the bridge was crowded. On top, cars were jammed in together, as humans and zombies alike fought among themselves.

Alice shivered.

"It's alright," Azumi said, comforting her.

"We're here together," Rumi said, winking.

"Me too!" Megumi called out, as the aircraft started to find the helipad.

"We'll reach there," Alice said. "We'll find you, Miho."

* * *

 **Derailed Train**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **4:30 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"We'll find you," said Miho. "And we'll survive together if we can."

She blinked.

"Huh?" Miho realized that she was back in her tank. It cautiously rumbled over the debris, as it approached the seemingly empty kiosk.

She looked down. Saori was still managing her radio, trying to contact others. Yukari and Hana were concentrated on their own things, primarily spying on anything around them, oblivious to Miho watching them. Mako was still driving.

"Did time stop?" Miho pondered to herself. "What...what happened?"

"Miporin?"

"Saori-chan!" Miho called out.

"You were quite silent there," she remarked. "But since you were fixed on watching something, I let you do your thing."

"I was?" Miho asked. Then, she realized that she did watch something, or someone.

"So I was not dreaming..." Miho pondered. "Wonder if this is what the Chosen Ones can do..."

A ribbon of light passed by her, drifting away from the tank. She stared at it.

"Can you come back?" she suddenly yelled. The others looked at her, puzzled.

The light then slowly drifted back, then disappeared.

"I wonder..." Miho pondered, then cleared her throat.

"Girls!" she commanded.

"Yes?" the others replied.

"We know that in times high and low," she stated. "That...you know...we've seen our share of traumas and trials and tribulations. But...you know, we're all in this together."

Saori smiled.

"Come again?" she teased her.

"What?" Miho asked.

"Now, you're serious," said Saori. "You were from the beginning, the kind who keeps her head high even in times like this."

"No-no!" Miho waved her hands. "I am still prone to emotional and psychological...distress? I mean, you and Hana helped to stand with me, when I felt like leaving Senshadou..."

"And now," Yukari declared. "You're here."

"Thanks," she replied.

"But on a serious note," Miho commanded. "Let's survive this together with our heads held high, and hearts strong."

"Wow," Saori whistled. "You sure are getting tough there."

"I have to," Miho said. "Or else you'll panic."

"Am not!" Saori denied, her face blushing. "Maybe a little."

"Please..." Mako groaned, causing Saori to pout.

"Let's go and do what we can," said Miho. "Finding our friends. Finding the Orb. Above all, survive this apocalypse, save as many as we can, and take down that PAMC once and for all."

"Roger that!" Yukari declared, saluting her.

"I am with you!" Saori cried out, raising her right hand, only to moan as she accidentally punched the ceiling. She winced, but smiled at Miho.

"We are here with you," Hana chimed in.

"Heh," Mako grunted. "I actually like your resolve, Miho. You were always the leader I can trust. Even my grandma said so."

Saori, Hana, and Yukari then held their hands together in a hand stack. Even Mako stopped the tank, and reached out to touch their hands. Miho smiled, and put hers on top of the stack.

"Girls, friends, family," she declared. "No matter what happens, I pray that anyone, even the American God, will help us get through this. And I pray..."

Miho bowed her head down, and the others emulated her. Despite the echoes of pain and screams around, the girls felt peaceful. Unknown to them, a ribbon of magenta light floated over the tank. Suddenly, it split into three ribbons: red, white, and blue. The three danced around the tank, before disappearing.

Not far away, the same being that watched Miho stared at the tank. It watched it, ever since Miho entered a trance of sort. It grunted, and waited for the girls.

"...and we'll not only survive," Miho continued in her prayer. "But also we'll...thrive through this. I mean, I remember that Senshadou was meant to help us with our emotional growth, so may this be a trial that will sharpen us like iron, and let's..."

The others nodded.

"May you be with us," she finally said. "And...Americans say 'Amen,' right?"

"Yup!" Saori nodded.

"Amen!" all of them declared.

"Saori-chan," Miho said. "Keep working on the radio. Hana-san, turn the turret 180 degrees. Yukari-chan, load the shell. Mako-chan, get ready to move."

"Roger!" all of them answered back.

Miho then peeked out of her hatch, her torso exposed as usual. She looked around, and immediately spotted what she suspected: a horde of zombies. It started to descend upon the tank, with some of them coming out of the kiosk. She also sensed something watching her, but felt that it was relatively harmless.

"Another animal?" she wondered. "I can consider later. For now..."

Miho looked at the horde, and noticed that all of them were of the normal kind; the zombies looked like they were tired. Miho felt the turret turn, and she herself took out a weapon: a Desert Eagle handgun. She clicked it.

"I spot them!" Hana said, getting ready.

"Augh..." Mako groaned. "I hate zombies..."

"Well," Yukari said. "We'll just blast our way into freedom!"

"You sound so happy," Saori groaned.

Miho smiled.

"Get ready!" she told them.

"Let's go!" Saori cried out, raising her right fist. She hit the ceiling above, wincing at the impact. Despite that, she winked at Miho, and went back to checking her radio.

"Panzer vor," said Miho, as a shell blasted from her tank.

* * *

 **Yes! It is done! Review and let me know!**

 **I am still willing to change this and all!**

 **Note: If you have not noticed, Miho just experimented with a power that even the Orb did not really realize: limited communication akin to telephoning, except with the Chosen Ones. I hope that I hinted this well. Thank you for all your support!**


	13. Chapter 13: I Saw

**You guys have waited long for this...**

 **Look at the chapter's title; it is a huge hint...**

 **Let's go.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 13: I Saw**

 **Abandoned Information Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **7:00 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Some fighting," Miho shrugged, as she shot down three zombies dead-on with her Desert Eagle handgun. "This gun is quite strong. Good thing we brought this."

She removed the empty cartridge, and threw it as a distraction. It hit a nearby vending machine with a clang, causing a few zombies to shamble towards it. Miho finished them off with more rounds, as the tank continued to fire into the hordes.

Despite the noise, there seemed to be few zombies now; the biggest horde was just about 20. Better yet, none of them were of the special kinds, so they were easy to fend off.

"Team," Miho said, as she put the handgun back into the holster. "Once we finish off enough zombies, stop shooting and we'll fight them on foot."

"What?!" Saori and Mako both groaned in response, aghast at the thought of attacking zombies head-on.

"We need to practice some close-range combat," said Miho, getting out. "And we need to save our ammo."

She put something on her hands and arms, as she jumped down unto the ground.

"Miporin!" Saori wailed. "Don't try anything risky again!"

"Unfortunately," Miho replied. "We have to."

Saori groaned.

"Not again..."

"I will help!" Yukari called out, after loading a shell. "Let me take them down!"

"I am coming," said Hana. "After I fire my last shot."

She turned the turret, directing it at the only large horde of zombies around.

"Aim," she mumbled. "Fire."

The cannon spewed smoke, as the shell slammed into the horde. Hana then went out of the hatch, just as Miho kicked a lone stalker down.

"Headshot!" Yukari cried out. "You need to-oh wait, these are not normal zombies!"

"Don't just punch them!" Miho called out, waving her hands.

"Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari yelled. "When did you..."

She stared at her hands. Miho had somehow quickly wrapped bandages all around her arms and gloved hands.

"Makeshift arm guards and gloves!" Miho replied. "I put multiple gloves on, wrapped towels around my hands, and wrapped them all thoroughly with bandages."

She explained all these, as she continued to knock down zombies casually.

"And it's easy!" she finished.

"You're nuts!" Saori screamed. "I am NOT bashing zombies, even with protected arms!"

Miho shrugged, as she continued to knock down zombies left and right.

"Impressive," said Hana. "Where did you learn all those moves?"

"Kuromorimine!" she replied. "As-I-learned-as-usual!"

Three of the zombies sprinted at her, forcing her to talk in an erratic manner. Fortunately, she threw a spinning kick, sucker punches, and even a single headbutt. Miho shook her head, as the zombie shambled away, stunned.

"Careful!" Saori cried out.

"But so cool!" Yukari squealed.

"Hana-chan!" Miho yelled, quickly regaining her composure. "Saori-chan, shoot any downed ones! Yukari! Make your gloves and-"

She knocked at another zombie, which charged at her.

"-help me fight them off!" she finished her command.

"Hai!" Yukari answered, frantically putting on some gloves and bandages scattered on the ground.

"Where did she get those stuff?" Saori asked, as she took out a Desert Eagle. "Man, this thing feels strong. How do you-wow!"

The shot rang, the recoil almost hitting her. The bullet blazed past Miho, and nailed into a zombie's throat. It coughed, then fell down.

"Oh!" Saori noted. "Miporin! Attack their necks! They can be killed there!"

"Thanks!" she replied, despite already noting that.

Miho made mental notes as she attacked them. Even before the onslaught, Miho noted that these zombies, as Yukari already pointed out, were unusual; cuts to the throats were enough to kill them. In zombie books, they normally would be killed with headshots. She grabbed a zombie, and tested something.

She smashed it into a nearby wall.

"Interesting," she noted. "That smash should have cracked the skull, but not a scratch."

"Are these _normal_ zombies?!" Saori screamed, her voice attracting some attention. A few zombies stumbled towards the tank.

"Hang on!" Yukari said, as she quickly created her own arm guards and gloves. "Done! I am in!"

She jumped into the scene, and kicked a zombie as it was about to pounce on Miho from behind. It shambled away, before approaching them.

"Hit them!" Miho cried, as she sucker punched one down. "Then, shoot!"

"Hai!" the other three girls roared from the tank, taking out their own guns to shoot from the safety of their tank.

"Which guns should I use?" Saori wondered, taking out a bag of handguns. She took out a Colt, and fidgeted with it.

"Eek..." she groaned. "I have to use a gun?"

"I am more scared than you!" Mako groaned, as she trembled with her Glock.

Hana, however, calmly reached inside the tank, and took out a M40 sniper rifle.

"Good thing we looted this," said Hana, fixing it and aiming it at a zombie. "Naomi allowed me to have this."

She fired, with three bullets ramming through her targets with ease.

"Save your ammo!" Miho cried out, as she knocked down two more. "Shoot when I say so!"

One of the zombies roared, and charged, having what looked like a grenade.

"Shoot!" Miho commanded.

Hana fired, and the zombie exploded into a cloud of smoke, flesh, and offal.

"Augh..." the girls groaned. Even Hana winced a little; the sight of the exploding zombie somehow grossed her.

"Killing a human," said Hana. "Sounds a little easier with this."

"Don't mention it!" Saori screamed, as a zombie grabbed her left ankle. She kicked it away, and shot it in the eye. The zombie shook its head, then growled, its eyeless right socket staring at her.

"Ah!" she roared, and fired three more shots into the zombie, which eventually collapsed.

"Saori-chan!" Miho called out, as she knocked down more zombies, while Yukari took down more and Hana sniped down the fallen zombies.

"Sorry," she replied back, trembling. "I-I need to be brave!"

"Can't...use," Mako groaned.

"Hey," Yukari taunted. "Eww-face! Come here!"

"Eww-face?" Saori asked.

A few looked at the fluffy-haired girl, and charged.

"Oops!" Yukari realized, as she quickly ran towards the tank. Miho, however, stood her ground, and made spun around, her kicks knocking down the charging monsters in a flash. She straightened up, whipping out her hair.

Saori gawked, as she took out her cell phone and snapped a photo.

"Is she a kung fu fighter?" Yukari asked. "That's so cool!"

"Shoot!"

Without a thought, Miho backed away after her command, as Hana and Saori both mowed down the zombies with their guns.

"O-O-OK!" Mako moaned. "Ne-never used a gun before still!"

She fidgeted with her Glock, trembling as she held it.

"Mako-chan!" Miho called out. "Think of the zombies as desserts, and your gun as the mouth."

Everybody blinked at first. Then, Mako chuckled, and laughed.

"Bad pun," she grinned. "But thank you."

Mako suddenly cocked her handgun, and successfully shot down a zombie, which went down in a flash.

The other girls whistled.

"You have a way," said Hana, as she continued to shoot down the rest of the zombies. "Of encouraging us in unusual ways, especially since the apocalypse."

"Oh!" Miho responded, as she threw a zombie in a judo throw. "Th-thanks. Guess I got tougher during the apocalypse..."

"By the way," said Yukari, as she dived into the tank to get her own gun. "How come we have so many guns?"

"Oh!" Miho remembered, as she continued to kick and knock down zombies. She was starting to treat the zombies more as opponents, rather than as a serious threat. She even whistled a little.

"The bandits had plenty," Miho replied. "Each of our team has enough guns and ammo, especially with handguns, to last for a few days."

"A few days," Saori gasped, as she watched her ammo. "Oh no, that means..."

"Try and not miss," Miho replied, nodding as she threw more judo throws. She also delivered some lovely karate chops. Soon, the zombies stopped moving towards the tank, and approached Miho.

"They're going for you!" Saori screamed, as she aimed at any zombie that was particularly dangerous.

"Don't waste the ammo!" Miho called out, who casually sucker punched a slim zombie, who appeared to have been a former fashion model. "Get your daggers! Yukari-chan, hand me a hatchet!"

"A hatchet?" everybody gawked.

"In my zombie survival bag!" she roared, as she dodged a bite from a particularly large zombie, who appeared to have been a wrestler. It grunted at her, then suddenly twitched. Its body started to shake.

"Another special one?!" Saori groaned, as Yukari worked frantically to find the hatchet.

"Guess so," Miho replied, concentrating on it, while taking down more zombies that tried to ambush her from behind.

The zombie seemed to grow rapidly, its red muscles bursting out from the skin.

"Eww..." Hana and Saori both groaned. Both girls focused their aim.

"Hold it!" Miho called out, ready to strike.

"Here!" Yukari said, throwing the ax. Miho caught it, and swang it around.

"Come get me," she taunted the mutant.

It cracked its bulging muscles, roared, then charged.

Suddenly, Miho caught the zombie's right arm, and swang around as if riding on a horse. She then cleaved the zombie's spine with her hatchet. It went down in a flash.

"Man!" Saori whistled. "You make zombie killing look so easy!"

"To be honest," Miho giggled, as she struck a zombie with her left elbow, before pummeling it down with punches. "Kuromorimine had a class on zombie survival..."

"They WHAT?!" everybody gasped, as Miho continued to take down the last few zombies.

All four girls tried to imagine a school as strict as Kuromorimine having a class on zombie apocalypse...

"Are you telling the truth?!" Saori finally asked the one question that everybody thought.

"Well," Miho said. "How can I explain this? We held experimental classes and lessons, to help us adapt. A few teachers, noting the rather rigid nature of our command and tactics, wanted something more...fun..."

She knocked a few zombies, then motioned for her friends to shoot.

"...and wanted to improve us," Miho finally said. "To my knowledge, only a few of us actually got perfect scores..."

The girls stared at their leader, with Yukari going fanatic.

"You got perfect, right?" Saori asked the obvious.

"Oh..." Miho was about to deny it, but decided to throw down a zombie, then sliced its neck with her hatchet. "Yes."

"Wait," Yukari said, as she took out a Beretta M9. "How about the other Kuromorimine girls?"

"Let's see..." Miho thought, as she continued to throw the zombies. This time, she threw the undead down into a crack that she just noticed, dumping them into it. The zombies tried to wiggle their way out, but Miho kept dumping more bodies in. Inspired, Yukari cracked her fists, and lifted up some zombies, carrying them as she avoided getting bitten. The two girls continued to dump the rest of the living dead.

"Maho passed," Miho said, dusting off her hands. "Koume got perfect, because she asked me for help. Mauko and Ritaiko both passed. Oh yeah, Erika got an almost perfect score."

"Wait a second," Saori gasped, as she and the others got out and prepared their guns to fire down at the pile of zombies. "They're all girls who came with us for the parade!"

"Oh yeah!" Miho realized, as the girls commenced shooting down the zombies trapped inside the crack. "You're right, oh stop shooting!"

They stopped, and Miho prepared her hatchet. The others took out their knives, while Hana took out a katana.

"Where did you get that?" Saori asked.

"The Hippo Team," she replied, gazing at it like a beautiful work of art. "It's beautiful..."

"Just use it," Mako said, trembling as she swiped at a zombie that was climbing up. Her first swipe missed, so she tried again. On the second try, as the zombie climbed higher, Mako's blade split the throat. It gasped before falling down.

"Nice!" Miho replied, as she split two of the zombies' throat with a single cleave.

"Did you play video games?" Yukari asked. "You're killing zombies like a pro!"

"You're praising her?" Mako groaned. "What? Is she going to be 'Z-Legend,' for crying out loud."

As the last moans disappeared, Miho giggled.

"I guess so," she replied.

Finally, after 30 minutes of fighting, the girls surveyed the carnage. Bodies of zombies littered the grounds, the last moans now gone in hoarse whispers before dissipating. The girls, on silent command, patrolled the street. After a while, the girls huddled back together.

"Is everything good?" asked Miho.

The others nodded.

Then, a huge wave of relief flooded them.

"Finally!" Saori groaned. sitting on the ground.

"That was...exhilarating," Hana commented, leaning on the Panzer.

"You mean fun!" Yukari replied, taking out her canister and pouring water into cups from the tank. "Here!"

"Thank you," the girls replied.

"I feel better..." Mako groaned, still trembling.

"So," Miho said. "What were we here again?"

The girls blinked at her.

"Oh yeah!" Saori began. "We came here for the kiosk to-LOOK OUT!"

All five girls leaped away from their tank, just as a massive blast struck the poor giant. The tank flipped in the air, then landed over 30 m or 100 ft from where it was. The audible crash caused a small tremor. Miho looked up; a strange cloud of purple dust floated in the air, especially where her team's tank was.

"What the!" Saori screamed, as everybody looked back.

"Oh no..." Miho gasped.

* * *

It looked like an overtly emaciated human, but with grayish-blue skin. It appeared to have reduced forms of external human features, especially nose. Its arms and legs looked elongated, with creepy, clawed, and long hands. It was bald, with a small mouth, and very large, opaque, black eyes.

"Is that an alien?!" Saori screamed in alarm.

"It's a zombie!" Miho replied.

The others gawked.

"A zombie that looks like an alien?!" Mako gasped. "This apocalypse thing is...creeping my poor brain out!"

"Brain..." it moaned.

Everybody gasped, eyes wide open.

"One shot," it groaned. "Out of energy. You no threat."

It then turned away, then stopped.

"Is it sniffing?" Saori noted.

"Yes," Hana replied. "Like a dog looking for prey..."

The strange zombie then turned, its black eyes fixed on Miho.

"You..." it groaned.

Miho gulped.

"Me?" she asked.

"Got to kill," it moaned, and walked quickly towards her. "The Chosen..."

The girls all gasped.

"Uh oh," Miho realized. "Friends! Find our bags and salvage what you can! I have to-"

The strange zombie screeched, and charged.

"Run!" Miho roared, as she ran.

"Miporin!" Saori screamed, as Miho ran in the opposite direction of her whole team, luring the strange zombie away. Saori and Yukari both ran, but Hana stopped them cold.

"Leave her," she replied. "Miho is diverting it away from us."

"But why is it chasing her?" Saori asked, frantic.

"Isn't she a Chosen?" Yukari asked. "It even talked, and called her one!"

The others stared at her, and watched as Miho and the zombie disappeared.

"She will survive," Hana said, trembling a little. "If she dies..."

All four girls shivered.

"Let's not think about that!" Saori said curtly. "Let's go and salvage quick, then follow her!"

The other girls nodded, then proceeded towards their tank.

"Oh no..." Yukari moaned, touching the armor of their tank. "Poor panzer..."

* * *

 **Abandoned Information Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **7:45 PM; July 9, 20XX**

The tank was a mess, beyond repair.

"Poor panzer..." Yukari sobbed, rubbing its mangled armor with her bare cheeks.

"Yukarin..." Saori patted her in comfort. "And quit that, please."

"At least the tanks looks sort of fine," Han said halfheartedly, opening one of the hatches.

Although three of the hatches were perfectly fine, the blast smashed the driver's seat, rendering the whole tank inoperable. Mako shivered.

"If I was in there..." Mako trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

Fortunately, the tank landed on its belly, so the girls opened the undamaged hatches.

"As smashed as the outside," Saori groaned.

"At least our bags and belongings are OK," Hana noted. They took them all out.

"Aw man," Saori groaned. "My cosmetics are ruined!"

"This is no time," said Mako. "To mourn about your cosmetics, please..."

"Hmm," Hana mused. "What are we going to do next?"

"We are walking again, eh?" Saori sighed. "Man, these bags are heavy!"

"That's not the worst," Hana said. "Now, what do we have..."

"Our guns," said Saori.

"Our food," said Mako.

"Our bags," said Hana, taking them out. "I wonder...What did Miho put in her bag?"

"Look at mine!" Yukari said proudly, opening hers. The girls looked in.

"Typical survival gear," said Yukari, closing it. "And Miho's?"

"Let's go inside the kiosk," said Hana.

Everybody agreed, since the open street with bodies everywhere was starting to get on their nerves.

"Let's go," said Hana.

* * *

"Same," said Saori, as she and Hana searched Miho's bag.

Yukari and Mako both scouted out. Yukari looked out the windows, careful to barricade the only door with a bookshelf. Mako perused the aisles, checking for any brochures or maps to help them.

"Three Boko dolls," Saori noted, tilting her head in confusion.

"But cute," Hana replied.

"Um..." Mako said. "Why does she need Boko in a zombie apocalypse?"

"Yeah..." Saori chimed in. "And-wait, what's this?"

Saori noticed a strange device. Taking it out, she and Hana both eyed it. Mako leaned in to look, while Yukari kept watch.

"A huge iPad?" Saori wondered. "But it looks too bulky."

"A secret computer?" Mako asked, taking it and checking it. "Hmm, a primitive device-wow!"

As she scanned her fingers around, a button appeared, which she clicked on instinct. Suddenly, the screen fuzzed into a variety of colors, and made a variety of high-pitched noises. Yukari noticed, and came to investigate.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"This is..." Saori trailed off, as a face soon appeared.

"Are you kidding me!?" all of them gasped. The face of a severe-looking, mature woman glared at the girls from the screen.

"Hello?" the familiar face appeared. "Who's this?"

Although her voice was calm and soft, her face gave off an aura of cold determination; Saori and Mako both shivered.

"Ni-Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari said. "He-hello! We are Miho's friends!"

"Miho-wait, is she and Maho alright?" the face of Shiho asked, momentarily showing genuine concern and worry. Then, she regained her composure, and looked as if she was unconcerned.

"I..." Yukari trailed off, looking at her friends.

Shiho sighed.

"I believe they will be safe," she said. "Girls, you have gotten a personal device. An old tracking device of sort. I never imagined that Miho will even bring it. But good! So, where are you girls?"

"We're in Los Santos," replied Saori. "We're at-"

"NO!" came the roar.

The girls reacted with a start. From the screen, Shiho visibly shook, as she banged on a table.

"You OK?" a few voices echoed from the screen. The girls noticed some of the JSF officials crowding around Shiho.

"They're in Los Santos," growled Shiho. "All of them."

"Oh," the American captain groaned, in a double face palm. "Those stupid reporters...They gave out the _wrong_ city!"

The girls blinked.

"Wha...what happened?" Saori asked.

"It's bad," Renta came in, fixing his glasses. "I thought my failure to close Oarai was bad; that's worse."

"Huh?" the girls asked, still confused.

"We'll tell you the truth," said Shiho. "You won't like it..."

By the time Shiho explained in a single paragraph, Shiho squinted as the four girls in front of her paled and went ballistic.

* * *

 **An alleyway**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:00 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Gotta run-gotta run!" Miho panted, as the strange zombie chased her.

Miho checked her cell phone, and realized that she had been running for 15 minutes straight, nonstop or so.

"This-is!" she gasped, trying to not stop. The alien-like zombie continued to chase. However, both were starting to slow down.

"Getting there!" she panted. "I-oh!"

She tripped, moaning.

"I," said the zombie, slowing down. "The Specter...have...ha! I have...finally gotten you."

"Bring it on," Miho said, getting up to fight back. "Ouch!"

She realized that she sprained her left ankle, and tried to crawl away.

"You can run," it said. "But you can't-"

BOOM!

Miho winced, then looked back. A crater formed where the Specter was, which was now a very frail creature like a skeleton.

"N-no..." it groaned, before collapsing into an ash-like heap, which disappeared.

Miho gasped, then sighed in relief.

"What-was...that?" she wondered.

A helicopter flew overhead, and Miho glimpsed a familiar symbol on its right side.

"Oh no!" she realized, seeing the ankh-like symbol of the PAMC. "Gotta run again!"

She limped as fast as she could, and entered a shack, just as a strange, blue spotlight flashed over where she was. The helicopter hovered over, trying to find where Miho went. After a while, it flew away.

"Whew!" Miho gasped, limping out. She then collapsed on a white, plastic chair that just happened to be close by. She fanned herself with a cardboard piece nearby.

She said nothing for the past few minutes, as she enjoyed the shade beneath. The Sun was setting fast, and it was getting dark.

"OK!" Miho said, getting up. "I need to go back and-"

"Help!" a scream rang out.

She immediately looked around frantically, like a mama bear looking for her lost cubs.

"Help!" the same voice echoed. Miho limped in the direction of the voice, and encountered three zombies trying to push through a weak barricade.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Miho fired her Desert Eagle, each bullet hitting the zombie in the next. After neutralizing them, she knocked on the door.

"Girl?" she asked. A moan was the sole reply.

"Are-are you OK?" Miho asked again.

"You good guy?" the little girl's voice asked.

"Yes!" Miho nodded fervently. Suddenly, she noticed zombies coming from both sides.

"Oh no," she gasped, and banged on the door. "Girl? Can you let me in?"

She heard something click, and the door barely opened. A little girl in white dress, with black hair and sweet brown eyes, stared at her.

"Ni-Nihao?" she asked.

"A Chinese!" Miho realized. " _Uh...hi there, girl_."

"I speak English," she replied, blinking.

"Oh!" Miho went back to her English. "Thank you! Will you let me in?"

The little girl struggled to push the door open. Miho worked frantically to pull it, as the zombies slowly descended upon her.

"Come on!" Miho groaned. The door barely opened enough for Miho to squeeze through.

"Ouch!" Miho screamed, as nails and pieces of wood from the door and the frame scratched at her. Pushing in with all her might, Miho cried and bulldozed in, just as the hordes slammed into the door, closing it.

"Sister?" the Chinese girl asked. "You OK?"

"Oh..." Miho groaned, as she got up to check her wounds. Multiple scratches and splinters dotted her pale, beautiful skin.

"Guess I have to live with scars," Miho sighed, but got up to check around.

"You in bad shape," the Chinese girl said.

"I am fine," Miho said, comforting her. "I have to, in order to help you."

Miho then checked the room. The store that the girls were in was a mechanics store of sort, or a general store. She saw all kinds of goods, from electronic drills to candy bars. It was obvious that the Chinese girl stayed inside for quite a while, because of the empty wrappers and bottles of water littering the floor.

"Thank you," Miho said, shaking the Chinese girl's hand. "I am Miho. And you?"

"Liu...Liuyang," she replied.

"Liuyang?" Miho pondered. "Wait a minute...Do you know Maylee?"

The girl gasped.

"Is-is she alright?" she blurted out. "I hope she's-"

 _Crack!_

"Liuyang!" Miho called out. "Stay back!"

A zombie suddenly dropped down from the ceiling. Miho looked up, gasping as she realized that the ceiling above had multiple holes. Three more zombies fell through, and they all rose up.

"Get...them..." the zombies moaned.

"Ah!" Liuyang screamed, as a zombie grabbed her.

"Coming!" she cried out, despite the pain on her ankle. She lunged at the zombie, taking its mouth away from the little girl. She slammed the zombie into a wall, knocking it.

"Come and get me!" Miho said, before taking out her hatchet and slashing it to kill it for good.

"Miho sister!" Liuyang screamed. "Look!"

Miho looked, and gasped as the door started to bulge. Miho stared, then sobbed.

"Okaasan," she said aloud. "I am sorry."

Miho wiped her tears, knocked down the remaining zombies inside, and shot them dead with her Desert Eagle. She clicked it again, and it was empty.

"Thanks...thanks for saving me," Liuyang said. "May our gods be with us, right?"

Miho hugged her tight.

"But," Liuyang said, suddenly crying. "I am scared!"

The door cracked and groaned.

"I am scared!" she cried into her chest.

"Me too," Miho said, patting her. "Don't worry; I will protect you."

She looked up. The door roared, and fell down as a flood of undead poured in. Miho limped with the little girl in her arms, slamming through a back door behind the counter. The room inside was quite spacious, but filled with inventory.

Miho turned around. A horde of 20 of team charged inside.

Miho wept.

"I am sorry," Miho comforted the crying girl, as she wiped both of their own tears and sat on the floor. "I will...do what I can."

"Miss?" the girl said. "I am...scared."

"Hold on," she told her, letting her go for a while. "I am saving you."

She looked around the store, and there were piles of items everywhere.

"Machetes?" she asked, rummaging around. "Handguns? Anything?"

The same horde shambled methodically, mere yards away from her.

She kept rummaging around.

"I can't find it!" Miho gasped, panting. "Don't panic-don't panic! Ha! Ha! I need anything!"

"I am scared!" the girl whimpered in horror, as the horde came closer and closer, now mere feet away.

Miho sobbed, and held the girl tight in her arms.

"Please God!" Miho cried out. "Buddha! Amaterasu! Jesus! Anyone!"

Suddenly, she noticed a ribbon of magenta light floating into a pile. On instinct, she reached into the pile, and took out something very heavy.

"Anything!" she cried out, sobbing profusely.

The tears partially blinded her. All she saw was the horde upon her within seconds, Liuyang screaming in her chest, and something shiny like a sword in front of her.

"If you're God," Miho sobbed. "Thought I saw you...you..."

She pulled something from the heavy object.

 _Brum-brum-brum-brum-brrr!_

The last thing Miho saw was a flash of golden and magenta lights.

* * *

 **The light has come. The story takes a turn. We are going.**

 **Please review, like, follow, and whatever you can!**

 **Thank you for all your support!**


	14. Chapter 14: The Chosen I

**So...that was a crazy chapter, the previous one.**

 **Here it is: the next chapter!**

 **Panzer vor!**

 **(Please review, like, follow, or spread it to others. Thank you!)**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 14: The Chosen I**

 **Destroyed Store**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:05 PM; July 9, 20XX**

* * *

"You are Chosen," echoed a voice. "You lost the old. You gained the new. Wield it. Go."

* * *

Miho opened her eyes, blinking.

"What...happened?" she asked out loud. The seeming darkness surrounded her, except for a bright source of light, which shone like a very bright lamppost, except it was shining from the ground, illuminating the whole world around her.

"Sister?"

Miho immediately looked down. She was sitting back to a wall, or what remained of the wall. The brick wall was now a heap of red-and-white ash and debris. The whole store was also gone; she noticed that the light was illuminating from her right side.

"Wait," Miho noted. "Isn't it supposed to be dark soon? Why is it..."

She looked down. Liuyang was hugging on on the chest, tight like a baby. On her right, a strange weapon shone a bright light, more like sunlight than manmade light.

"What...?" she blinked, staring at it. "What just...happened? And this...is?"

She got up, surprised at how light the little girl was on her chest. Then, she realized that the kid was still the same, because the weapon in her right hand looked very large.

"It looks..." she eyed it, holding the girl in her left hand, while wielding the weapon on the right. "This is a commercial chainsaw! The kind that professional lumberjacks use. But golden and magenta...Magenta!"

She gasped, dropping the weapon and holding the kid tightly. After a few tense seconds, Miho sighed in relief, as nothing seemed to happen.

The chainsaw stopped buzzing, although its light did not dim. Miho felt a strange pulling sensation, as if she was supposed to hold it again.

"Thank goodness," she sighed in relief. "I thought that the Orb...was playing tricks or something. But why now? Why is it...giving me this?"

She wondered about what to do. She knew that she had to go back, but was not sure about the weapon itself. It looked more like a magical weapon than a real one, so she was perplexed.

"Strange," she wondered. "I wonder...Liu...Liuyang?"

A sweet snore broke the silence. Miho smiled, and quietly put the kid down on a flat floor, far away from the debris. The little girl made a series of cute snores, as she smiled in her sleep.

Smiling, Miho got up again, and cautiously approached the weapon. It glowed a little brighter, now that Miho was near.

"A chainsaw," she noted. "I saw this while trying to save Liuyang...I remember calling out to anyone to help..."

But on closer inspection, she tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait," she realized with a start. "This chainsaw...looks like a sword!"

She picked it up, and looked at it more closely.

It was.

The part that would be the engine and handle looked like a sword hilt, but fancier, bigger, and bright golden with magenta edges. The blade of the chainsaw was also shaped like one giant sword; even the tip was pointed, instead of rounded as in real chainsaws.

Miho slowly raised it up, eyeing it.

"Hmm," she analyzed it. "This chainsaw looks to be about 90 cm long...which means that this thing should weight about 25 lb or 11 kg...It looks more like a golden sword than a chainsaw."

Miho giggled nervously.

"Man," she pondered out loud. "Zombie apocalypse...The Orb...And now, a magical weapon?!"

She giggled, then laughed out loud. She held her mouth shut, when she noticed Liuyang moving in her sleep.

"This is...strange," she swung the chainsaw. It did look like a fashionable sword, one that would look well in a TV show. At first glance, it looked like a golden sword, the kind that heroes in fantasy stories and TV shows would wield. However, its hilt was clearly a chainsaw engine, while the blade bore teeth all over it.

Miho swung it around again, like a professional fencer practicing with his or her rapier. Despite its bulky appearance, the sword felt quite light. She noticed a string, the one to pull it. The end of it had the golden face of Boko, making her smile.

"Hmm," she pondered, then pulled it.

Brum-brum...brum...brrrrr!

The set of the teeth on the chain rotated around the blade, and the sound buzzed in the air. The saw's light glowed even brighter, so that it lit up the darkened world around her even more.

"Interesting," Miho eyed it again. "This is the...wait, the zombies!"

She held her chainsaw like a sword, surveying her surroundings. The sword emitted a huge aura of golden light, radiating everything around her. The store was gone, except for the wooden floor and the debris of wooden furniture, brick walls, and bloodstains on the grounds. She lowered it down, once she realized that there were no zombies around.

"Whew," she sighed in relief. "Were they...obliterated?"

She looked at her weapon.

"Hmm," she mused. "I am not so surprised anymore...Zombies...Magical zombies...and now, the Chosen Ones."

"Wait," she suddenly said out loud. "I am...Chosen."

She looked down at herself. She saw no apparent changes in her body, not noticing the golden lines on her uniform. The golden light of the sword hid the lines away from her eyes. However, she noticed something on the hilt.

"Huh?" she looked more closely.

She noticed that there were gems on the hilt, and squinted at them to take closer look-

"Sister?"

A familiar voice snapped Miho out of her state, and she looked. Liuyang woke up, yawning as she got up. Miho carefully laid the sword down, and the sword stopped buzzing.

"Liuyang-chan," Miho answered, approaching her and picking the little girl up.

"Th-thank you," she moaned, still groggy from sleep.

"You're welcome," Miho replied. "But you should thank whoever actually saved me."

"Who?" she moaned.

"I...guess," she looked down, and picked up the saw. Miho looked at it closely. She noticed three fish-like symbols, intersecting together to create a "T" sign. Above it was what looked like an empty slot, shaped just like the fish symbol.

Suddenly, she remembered.

"The necklace!" she cried out, dropping the saw to take the necklace out. It still had the strange fish-like symbol. With Liuyang still on her left arm, she then put the necklace into the slot.

A perfect match.

Suddenly, the necklace separated from her neck, and wrapped around the saw. The saw also transformed, so that it developed red, white, and blue stripes on the blade; they looked like words. The hilt also altered, so that the necklace's pearl-like pebbles wrapped around the hilt, etched into it like gems. The gems on the hilt drastically transformed, so that a single gem was as large as a softball.

In fact, the whole saw grew bigger in size; now, it was as long as Miho was tall, and as wide as her.

"Umm..." she pondered. "Is this thing...too big?"

She raised it, and was surprised at its weight. It felt as light as before. She swung it around again, and found it quite easy to wield.

"Still," Miho pondered. "Can I shrink it?"

The chainsaw sword whirled, as if listening. It shrank down rapidly, until it was about 90 cm or about three feet long.

"Much better," Miho replied, swinging it around. "Huh? What are those ribbons on the-"

"Sister?" Liuyang asked. "Nice sword."

Miho turned to face her, and giggled. She forgot about the sword's new form.

"Thanks," she replied, holding her up tightly. She then looked around, her blade still buzzing in hand.

"I better take you somewhere safe," Miho told her, patting her.

"Hmm?" Liuyang moaned, dozing off. "I want...no...I like..."

"Let's go," Miho said, patting her again.

She started to walk out of what remained of the store, when she sensed something.

"Huh?" she realized, as she turned around. She thought she saw some debris starting to move. Shrugging, she ran as fast she could in the direction of her team, using her sword as a torch to light the way.

* * *

 **Abandoned Information Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:05 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"I cannot believe it!" Yukari roared, grabbing her messy hair with both of her hands. "D-do they have any idea how many people will get hurt or KILLED from that mistake?!"

"This is...really bad," Hana said quietly, covering her mouth in shock. "If any of them chose to move here...

She trailed off, not finishing her sentence, and shivered.

"Wh-what do we do...now?" Mako asked, trembling but trying to remain as calm as she could. "Tha-tha-that was...a horrible...mistake."

"I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!" Saori cried out aloud, stomping her feet.

Shiho remained calm, letting the girls cool down, so that she could resume her talk.

"You girls done?" she asked monotonously. Despite her voice, a single sweat went down her right cheek.

"So-sorry about that, Nishizumi-sama," replied Yukari, as she and others re-focused their attention on the tablet. However, all of them were panting or shivering to some degree; while Hana was the calmest, Saori was the most expressive.

"I understand," Shiho replied. "The news is shocking for all of you."

"OK-OK!" Saori said, clapping her hands in order to relieve her stress. "So, Nishizumi-sama, I want to make sure..."

Yet she could not finish her sentence; she simply clenched her fists, and yelled to calm herself down.

Shiho sighed in response.

"Those reporters," Hana spoke. "Gave the wrong city for us to move to."

"They were supposed to tell the people of Los Santos," said Shiho. "To escape to Los Angeles, where the American forces are already containing the outbreak."

"But it looks overrun!" Saori roared.

"Los Angeles?" asked Shiho. "No, it looks like that, at first. A few hours later, the American forces invaded it en masse, and managed to contain the outbreak."

Saori silently nodded, tears streaming down her eyes.

Shiho sighed again.

"This is why," Shiho groaned. "I do not really like those American reporters. They have a penchant for jumping to conclusions, exaggerating reports, and all kinds of bad reporting."

"But why did they say Los Santos?" asked Hana. "Is it just a mistake?"

"It's more than a mistake," said Shiho bluntly. "To put it, they did not even tell the authorities. They just made up their own ideas, just to get the people's attention. And then, the US military had no choice..."

"...but to just get along," said Yukari, still pulling at her hair.

"So the US government had no choice," Hana sighed. "But to 'affirm' a lie, just to help contain the outbreak or something? It sounds confusing to me..."

"It really does," said Shiho. "I don't really understand the exact context of how the reporters misreported this. All I know is that Los Santos and Los Angeles are both very similar. I am not too surprised that the reporters somehow mixed up the two..."

"But back to the point," Shiho continued, her face as calm as ever. "Due to the news, as many as a quarter of the people in Los Angeles 'fled' to Los Santos, or at least tried to. Some died, while others saw the reality of it all. The US government is not only rescuing the citizens, but also trying to capture the news reporters who spread the wrong news."

"And what happened?" Mako asked, trembling.

"They were actually caught," the US captain spoke from behind Shiho.

"Really?" the girls asked. Saori greatly calmed down, internally glad for the perpetrators to be caught.

"The three news reporters," said Shiho. "They were all arrested in the city of Los Angeles. Upon realizing their mistakes, the main three tried to escape, but the US military eventually captured them. I only know two of them: Jessica and Ben."

"Jessica...Ben..." the girls mused.

"Wait a minute!" Yukari declared. "Ben is the reporter who mentioned about a solid rock wall!"

"And he was silenced by Jessica and the others," Hana remembered.

"Regardless," Shiho said, clearing her throat. "The US government now will deal with those horrible reporters. There is one thing I need to tell you about."

"What is it, Nishizumi-sama?" Mako asked, her interest piqued.

"Something even I find it hard to believe," said Shiho. "But only a few of us know about it: the Chosen Ones."

Yukari, Saori, Mako, and Hana all looked at each other. They silently decided to avoid talking about Miho being Chosen.

"Who are they?" asked Yukari, feigning innocence.

"Let me explain," Shiho said, hoping that the girls were better prepared this time...

* * *

 **Alleyway nearby the Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:10 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"Liuyang?" Miho asked. "Are you alright?"

She ran as fast as she could, holding the little girl in her chest, while holding her new weapon with the other. Miho found it odd that she could carry that much.

 _When did I become stronger?_ she wondered. _Did a god answer my prayers?_

"I am..." she answered, cuddling up to Miho's chest. "Sister...are you bigger now?"

"Eh?" Miho asked. "No, I am still the same."

"Thanks..." she answered. "You're my hero."

"No," Miho replied, patting her. "But thanks."

She continued to run. She mentally noted how strong she was, running at full speed with a giant weapon on her right, and a little girl on her left. A giant zombie, seven feet or 210 cm tall, noticed her and roared. Liuyang held unto Miho tight, as Miho swung her sword.

It sweeped right through the zombie, and it crumbled into a heap of golden dust.

"Interesting," Miho noted, looking back. "Cleaner cut, easier kill."

* * *

 **Abandoned Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:10 PM; July 9, 20XX**

"So," Shiho said, clearing her throat. "Another mistake was committed by one of the US generals. He apparently revealed to the world about the Chosen Ones. He was 'mysteriously' disappeared after that comment. Now, the whole state of California is familiar with the idea of the Chosen Ones."

"That's how the Americans know about the Chosen Ones?" asked Saori, remembering all of the previous survivors they saved. From Joshua Cracker the guard to the Wellington family, the girls heard plenty about the Chosen Ones.

"Yes," Shiho said. "After that announcement went through the emergency broadcasts, the US government implemented a statewide jam, in order to prevent that crucial piece of information from getting out of California."

"What?!" Saori gasped. Hana and Mako both were silent, sweating.

"Wait a minute!" Yukari interjected. "Nishizumi-sama, what about you all? How do you know?"

"We know about it from the broadcasts," Shiho answered. "From the TV screens to radio. Unfortunately, anyone who now knows about this...must stay put."

"In California?!" the girls gasped.

"Even those on ships too," she sighed in response. "Hence, even though we're safe, anyone knowing about the Chosen is a 'potential risk.' Now, we are all treated as if we're terrorists of sort."

Her grumbling admittance stunned the girls.

"So then," Shiho said. "Let's get back to the point. That's all I know about the origins of the Chosen Ones being known to us. Now, let's talk about the Chosen Ones more explicitly."

"From what I know," she continued. "The US government had no knowledge of the Chosen Ones, until some defectors from an unidentified organization admitted about them."

The girls looked at each other. They knew the name of that organization, but remained silent.

"That monstrous PAMC..." Mako mumbled very quietly, so that Shiho did not hear her.

"Based on what we know," Shiho said. "The Chosen Ones are unusual. They are said to be the only way to find the Orb. They all are connected to the Orb, somehow. And what is this Orb? A secret weapon or tool of sort, which is supposed to change the whole world. It sounds like a myth, but apparently, even the US government is taking this seriously. The Chosen Ones all vary in appearance, but they all have three things in common:

1) "The Chosen Ones are all girls. No reports of male Chosen have been found.

2) The Chosen Ones are distinct for having glowing marks, sort of like neon lights, on their clothing. No matter what they wear or even when naked, the lights show up; they look like glowing tattoo of sort on naked skin. That somehow symbolizes the unusual nature of being Chosen.

3) All Chosen Ones have what are called the 'Hands of God.' From what I know, the Chosen Ones must lose something dear, must do something righteous, and must choose to become Chosen. That's the only way to become Chosen. Or something like that."

Shiho stopped to drink a cup of water. The girls stared at her, focusing intently.

"It all sounds crazy," Shiho sighed. "But apparently, this secret organization is now working to defy the US government. I don't know how or why the US government is interested in this, but it sure reacted quickly and efficiently. As of now, over 80% of people in California are considered safe."

"WHAT?" the girls gasped at the news.

"Yes," said Shiho. "Despite this...zombie outbreak, the crisis is being averted with surprising speed and efficiency. I do not like the US government, but it sure does its job well...Maybe a little _too_ well."

The girls gawked, keeping that in mind.

"However," Shiho said. "The government is now more interested in finding these...Chosen Ones, more than actually saving the citizens. Apparently, the rescue efforts are working phenomenally well, and I am not exaggerating. They even imposed quarantine measures that reduced the death rates by 90% in most areas. I cannot believe that the US government did this so well..."

"As if it already knew," Mako commented.

The girls and Shiho turned around to stare at her.

"Those stupid American elites," Mako groaned, her face showing a rare sign of anger and rage. "They somehow knew about this, but they're really...in my opinion...using the rescue efforts as a pretext to find the Chosen Ones."

"I don't know why they want the Chosen Ones," said Shiho. "All I am told is that they're some dangerous terrorists of sort, with weapons beyond what we can imagine."

The girls stared at each other again. Now, they were starting to understand the gravity of the situation.

"But wait," said Saori. "Nishizumi-sama, you said that the Chosen Ones are somehow terrorists? Are they that powerful _and_ dangerous?

"There is one thing," said Shiho.

Everybody craned in to listen more intently. Shiho blinked, but maintained her serious demeanor.

"The American captain onboard our ship told me this," Shiho continued. "He told me to not tell his name for security purposes, but he somehow intercepted a Morse code. Being a translator himself, he read the code, and learned this one thing:

" _Make sure you bring the Chosen Ones alive. Living Ones are powerful beyond measure; they appear to be a living source of an incredible amount of energy_ was all he got," Shiho said. "Now, he honestly does not know whether it's a code inside a code, or that's what it actually says. However, one thing is for sure; the US government wants them alive."

"Wait," Yukari began. "Are the Chosen-"

"Rawrr!" a voice roared, causing the girls to jump.

"Girls?" Shiho's voice echoed, but got caught off when the tablet flipped over. Yukari was the one holding the tablet, but she threw it on impulse, when a zombie stuck its head out through the barricaded door. The tablet's screen landed on a nearby chair, so all Shiho could see was a black screen from her side.

"Girls? Girls?!" Shiho's voice echoed, staring to tremble a little.

"Nishizumi-sama!" Hana replied, picking up the tablet. "I am sorry, but we have a crisis!"

She slammed the tablet down, facedown again. Shiho groaned, as she saw complete blackness again.

Zombies started to break through the defenses; the wooden furniture and other barricades on the windows and door started to creak and moan.

"Get ready!" Saori screamed, triggering her handgun. The Desert Eagle's strong firepower made a big recoil, making Saori nervous. Fortunately, her bullet found its mark; a zombie slumped down, its head hanging from a crack in the window.

"Hold steady and aim!" Hana called out, raising her sniper rifle. She fired three shots, nailing three zombies in the necks.

"Get back where you came!" Yukari roared, raising up a giant, steel ladder with ease. Being a loader, she had a lot of training with her arms, so that she was able to wield a huge ladder easily. She jabbed and rammed at the zombies, keeping them from breaking through.

"What's that light?" Mako asked, suddenly noticing a faint light in the distance.

As soon as she said it, the zombies stopped breaking through the barricade. All of them moved out, and roared at something in the distance. In a few seconds, the girls waited, tense. A few flashes of light appeared through the cracks in the barricade.

Then, it was all silent.

The girls stood still, guns and ladder raised.

Suddenly, the door fell down with a slam, and a giant zombie stood at the frame.

"Oh no..." the girls all gasped.

"Girls?!" Shiho's voice rang out. Hana grabbed the tablet with her left hand, as the zombie stood still.

"Girls?" she asked again. "What...stay still."

The zombie moved its shoulders, as if stretching. It then opened its hideous, tusked mouth, and...

...fell down.

The huge falling sound rattled the whole kiosk, as if an earthquake struck. Behind the zombie was a familiar figure.

"Sorry to be late," she replied.

"MIHOOOO!" everybody screamed, as Miho marched through the door, standing on top of her fallen quarry. Liuyang held unto Miho tightly. Unknown to her friends, Miho deliberately made her weapon disappear; she decided to explain later.

"Sorry to be late!" she said, her voice surprisingly calm. "I am back-"

She got cut off, as two girls slammed into her, and almost fell.

"Miporin!" Saori screamed. "We were SO worried about you!"

"Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari said, crying. "Man, we're glad you're alive!"

"For once," Mako said, her voice clearly emotional. "I am actually glad."

"Nishizumi-sama," Hana said, holding out the tablet. "Your daughter is back."

"Miho? Miho!" Shiho cried out from the tablet. Her face momentarily expressed both relief and happiness, then quickly returned back to normal.

"O...Okaasan?!" Miho blurted out, startled by the familiar voice. She dropped down Liuyang on a nearby sofa, and took the tablet away.

"Let's..." Saori said. "Keep them in a private chat."

The others agreed, and occupied themselves with fixing up their barricades.

* * *

 **Abandoned Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:30 PM; July 9, 20XX**

The mother and the daughter stared at each other for a while. Liuyang snored quietly on the sofa. Saori, Yukari, Hana, and even Mako all worked to fix their barricades, or tried to. As they worked, they could not help but eavesdrop on the conversation happening from behind them.

"Mi-Miho..." Shiho managed to say it out.

The still-rebellious daughter of the Nishizumi clan, now face-to-face with her own mother. Miho beheld her, as she held the tablet in her hands.

"O-Okaasan..." Miho managed to say it out.

"Miho..." Shiho muttered.

"Okaasan..." Miho stammered.

"Um..." Shiho continued.

"Eh..." Miho responded back.

The two were silent, staring at each other.

The only noises were Liuyang snoring, and the girls fixing up their defenses. Hana noticed a lone zombie outside, and held her rifle ready. She laid it down, once the zombie shambled away.

"Miho..." Shiho said, clearing her throat. Miho stared at her mother intently.

"Yes?" Miho replied.

"How...how are you doing?"

The question threw Miho off guard.

"Eh?" she asked, blinking.

"How...are you doing?" Shiho asked again. "I mean...It's been a while..."

"Oka...san," Miho stuttered. "I am...I am actually not fine right now, being in the apocalypse and all."

Shiho sighed.

"Always honest, weren't you?" Shiho remarked. "You made every word count. So, are you alive? No bites or anything?"

Miho checked herself, and motioned to others. They all shook their heads, affirming that they were safe.

"We're all well," Miho replied.

"And the girl?" she asked.

"She's fine," Miho replied. "And sleeping soundly."

"Good," Shiho nodded. "Even now, you still advance forward. I have heard from the Selection University elites, especially Alice and the Bermuda Trio. You really did keep everyone together, learning from...your..."

She trailed off, but Miho perfectly understood. The incident of losing to Pravda in that tournament...

"Thank you," Miho replied.

Shiho nodded.

Another moment of silence followed. The girls were almost done with their repairs, so Mako went back to check out the shelves of books and brochures. Saori went to check on Liuyang. Yukari did the rest of the repairs, while Hana looked out the window, rifle in hand.

In reality, all of them were still eavesdropping.

"But say," said Shiho. "What happened there?"

"We were trapped in a building, and had to fend off some zombies," said Miho. "Partially shooting, and partially fighting with melee weapons."

"These zombies are strange," said Shiho. "When you shoot, shoot them in the neck, not the head. The skulls seem unusually strong."

"How do you know?" Miho asked.

"The American captain here told me," she answered. "I was surprised to learn about this. He told me that many do not really know what's really going on, but it appears something... _mythical_ has happened in California..."

Miho nodded in silence. Her mother was not really swayed by the idea of zombies; she did, however, liked the idea of using it to teach about emergency measures.

"And you were among the few to pass that class," Shiho suddenly said. "Not too surprising."

"Oh," Miho replied, knowing well of what her mother was talking about. The zombie survival class that Kuromorimine formerly held was not exactly popular; the school was still very rigidly oriented towards the old Nishizumi style, so the class' unusual emphasis on flexibility and adaptability did not sit well with many students. Miho remembered that she and a few other friends, including Maho, Erika, and Koume, were among the few to even pass the class.

"Don't worry about it," Shiho said. "Keep the tablet. As long as you're near the coast, we should still be in contact. Hold it, do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your lifeline. If Maho is...gone..."

Shiho's eyes went dark, almost blank. Miho gulped.

"...then," she continued. "You're the only one I have left."

Miho sniffed, as a single tear flowed down. The girls, who all clearly overheard it, silently waited. Unknown to them, Liuyang woke up a while ago, but pretended to remain asleep. She heard the whole conversation; although she did not understand everything, she knew that her savior was talking to her mother.

"Oka..." Miho began, but Shiho shook her head, and waved off.

"You know what," she said. "I am starting to get tired of honorifics. They...somehow make me feel distant from you."

Miho blinked, but stayed silent.

"Miho," Shiho said. "Just as I call you Miho directly, just call me...Shiho."

Everybody gasped.

"Wait-wait-wait!" Renta's voice roared. "That does NOT sound very professional!"

"Ah," said Shichiro, fanning himself. "Such an interesting move from a very tradition-minded woman of legendary status."

"Hmm?" the American captain asked. "Why is that interesting?"

"Don't you know?" Renta roared from behind Shiho. "In Japan, honorifics are VERY important! Use the wrong ones, and you're in BIG trouble! What Shiho is saying is...preposterous beyond preposterous!"

"Maybe I should not have said that right now," Shiho grumbled. "But it was in my heart, so I had to say it."

"Th-thank you so much," Miho replied, a single tear falling down. "Shi...Shiho."

The two smiled, the very first real smile toward each other.

A single tear cascaded down from Shiho's right cheek, the same way as Miho's did.

The girls behind Miho smiled, glad for the turn of events. The people from behind Shiho also stayed silent, letting the two talk more.

SECRET CONNECTOR TALKIE DISCONNECTING, a voice suddenly rang.

"Oh," Shiho groaned. "This tablet, unfortunately, is bad. I should have updated this long ago. Somehow, it works only an hour per day. Maybe it's due to the battery, so keep it well. It's a personal device, so Miho, keep it well."

"I will," Miho said, saluting her mom. "Shiho."

Shiho saluted back, and the tablet went blank.

Miho stood up, and the others followed her example.

"Girls," she declared. "Let's go."

"To where?" Saori asked.

Miho shrugged.

"We'll have to get out," began Miho. "Before-"

CRUNCH!

"Uh oh," said Yukari, holding out her gun. The others raised theirs as well. Three zombies crashed in, the same kinds as before...

"Blazer, Freezer, and Shocker," stammered Mako, still trembling with her handgun.

"Can't risk getting burned!" Saori groaned. "My skin!"

"Quiet down," Hana said. "My mom has told me to keep cool."

"But they are THREE mutant zombies or something!" Mako screamed, breaking out of her usual demeanor.

The zombies cocked their heads, spewing flame, ice, and electricity respectively.

Miho sighed.

"It looks like I have to do it," Miho decided. "Girls, stay back."

"Miho?" the girls asked, but Liuyang knew and nodded.

Miho approached the zombies. All three immediately focused on her.

"Come and get me," she commanded.

Miho raised her right hand to her side; a cloud of golden and magenta sparks floated around. Suddenly, a massive weapon appeared.

All four of her teammates gawked.

"What the-" Yukari began, but was cut short as their leader swinged the blade. The whirling saw swept through the zombies cleanly, decapitating them all in an instant. As the corpses dropped down to the floor, all of them disintegrated into clouds of fine, golden dust.

Miho stood still, her weapon whirling and buzzing with golden and magenta lights. Some ribbons of white, red, and blue light also floated around the blade. She then turned around, facing her friends.

All of them continued to gawk, spellbound at the shocking event.

"What..." everybody gasped, but could not talk.

"Ehehehe..." Miho giggled, realizing the gravity of her situation. "Maybe...I should have...oh well, I have a lot to explain..."

* * *

 **OK, I hope this will lead nicely into the next chapter.**

 **I hope I have explained about the Chosen well enough. This is only a small part; more about the Chosen Ones will come later.**

 **FYI: Miho's chainsaw sword is based on an official weapon. Search "Aura Kingdom thunderous saw of destruction." Miho's sword looks virtually identical to that, except with gems and pearls on the hilt, and the tip is pointed, not round.**

 **In the meantime, panzer vor!**

 **(Once again, PM, review, like, follow etc.)**


	15. Chapter 15: Strength

**OK, I have a semi-challenge or so: publishing three chapters per two weeks. In other words, one week I will try and publish two chapters, then one in the next week. I want to finish this story before 2017 is over, especially since the _Girls und Panzer Das Finale_ is coming up!**

 **So then, let's go.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 15: Strength**

 **Abandoned Kiosk**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **6:30 AM; July 10, 20XX**

Miho stood on top of the kiosk, standing with her weapon in hand. The blade whirled around and around, emitting out a radiant glow, although Miho deliberately dimmed it to minimize detection.

"Hmm," Miho mused. "The only way to dim it completely is to deactivate my powers. I wonder...Nope, I need to keep watch."

She sighed, not sure of what transpired about 11 hours ago...

* * *

"What happened to you?!" was the universal reply of the girls.

"Ehehehe..." Miho scratched her head with her left hand. Even Liuyang was staring in awe; although she glimpsed Miho's powers before, she was too scared back then to see the whole situation.

Miho let her friends and Liuyang gaze at her for a while.

Then, she squinted as the girls roared.

"What the-" Saori slapped herself, in order to avoid cursing in front of Liuyang. "What is that?!"

"OH YESSS!" Yukari yelled, squealing with delight. She was all over the weapon; although she was careful to avoid cutting herself, Yukari could not help but touching the weapon's middle blade and the hilt.

"Nishizumi-dono!" she screamed again. "Is this your weapon? So amazing! I saw this only in video games! Now, it's REALLLLL! How did you get it? Why is so special? Are you special?"

"Eh..." Miho fidgeted, not sure of how to react to Yukari's bombardment of questions.

"Pipe down," Mako groaned, despite her visibly surprised face. She looked at the weapon, then at Miho.

"So," she grinned. "You're Chosen, right?"

"I...I guess so," Miho replied, chuckling.

"Amazing," Hana said, as she quickly overcame her amazement. Her face reverted back to its calm appearance, although she still radiated an aura of amazement.

"Miho-senpai," Hana continued. "Please explain what happened."

"Ehehehe," Miho replied, giggling. "Hana-san, you don't have to call me 'senpai.'"

"But you're Chosen!" cried out Saori. "It's obvious that you are!"

"Nishizumi-sama!" Yukari declared. "Please teach us how to be Chosen!"

"Um..." Miho began. "I am...not sure."

"Interesting," Mako said. Unlike others, who were interested in Miho, Mako focused on the nature of the weapon.

"Isn't this...a chainsword or something?" Saori asked. "I've seen it in zombie movies-"

"Please," Mako shivered, suddenly holding onto Saori. "Don't remind me of those! I've seen real zombies, and they're scary enough!"

"Pipe down," Saori tried to comfort her friend. "We're nervous, you know? Anyway, what do you know about Miho's weapon?"

"Let me guess," Mako answered, quickly recovering from her shock. She eyed the weapon, careful to avoid the saw's whirling teeth. Miho could tell that Mako was glad to focus on something else.

 _Guess she still is scared of zombies_ , Miho thought. _Though I wonder why she's scared of...zombie movies?_

"Hmm," she mused. "Miho's weapon looks like a stylized, giant broadsword or two-handed sword. However, it is about 100 cm long, and about as wide as Miho-senpai..."

Miho felt a sweat drop; even Mako referred to Miho as such.

 _You don't have to say that_ , Miho wanted to say, but decided to keep it in her head.

"...however, it really _is_ a chainsaw stylized as a magical sword," Mako mused, poking her finger at the safe spots. "Hmm, the blade has chainsaw teeth whirling around, and the whole thing radiates a strange, golden glow. The hilt of the sword is one giant handle and engine; the engine is housed within the guard, and it forms a ring around a...light magenta leather handle?"

All except Liuyang looked at each other.

"That light magenta color thing!" Saori groaned. "It keeps popping up! Miho saw ribbons of those...lights. Now, we start seeing them! And now, her sword!"

"Does the Orb...know about it?"

Miho shook her head.

"If it did," Miho said. "We would be gone by now, or so I think."

"But why choose someone like you?" asked Yukari. "You're special, but aren't we ALL special?"

"I am not sure," Miho answered, as Mako continued to study the chainsaw sword.

"I think you saved me," Liuyang piped. "Maybe that's why a god or gods were pleased to give you a reward!"

The girls all smiled at the little kid.

"Thanks," Miho said, patting her. Both she and Miho giggled.

"Hey," Mako said, as she analyzed the sword. "What are these?"

The girls all huddled together to look. Mako's right index finger pointed at the center of the hilt. In the center, a pinkish-red diamond the size of a baseball glittered. Its brilliance mesmerized everyone; even Miho gazed at the gem in awe.

"It's diamond!" Mako declared, her eyes widening. "And a pink-red one, too! That's the rarest gem in the world! Something of that size...will fetch millions..."

Yukari, Saori, and Hana gawked. Each one, including Mako, was thinking about something to buy with that much...

 _A whole collection of tank models!_ Yukari squealed internally.

 _A whole collection of marriage and love magazines!_ Saori shook with enthusiasm.

 _A whole collection of new saplings and ikebana sets_ , Hana mused dreamily.

 _A whole collection of ice cream for the whole year_ , Mako thought, licking her lips.

"Girls," Miho said, snapping them out of their trance. "It's my weapon, you know."

The girls all sighed in defeat. Miho giggled.

"And it may not even be a real gem," Miho said. "I just got this, you know."

The girls sighed again, dejected.

"Nothing for us, I guess?" Hana replied.

 _My tank models_...Yukari groaned internally.

 _My love life_...Saori moaned internally.

"My ice cream," Mako bluntly blurted out.

"Mako!" Saori grunted, pounding on her. "Watch your words!"

"You watch your thoughts," Mako grinned, causing her friend to pout.

"So," Miho said, trying to lift their mood up. "Mako-san, what do you know about my weapon?"

"OK," Mako said, looking at it again. "Oh, I see that six gems surround the pink diamond. Hmm, the gems form a hexagon shape around the diamond. The top two are blue gems, the center two are white gems, and the bottom two are red. I don't recognize what those gems are, though. And pearls form some sort of a butterfly wing pattern around the hilt, although they do not obscure the gems."

"That's beautiful," Hana mused dreamily. Her eyes seemed to glitter, as if she was an expert analyzing a gorgeous piece of art.

"It really reflects your soul," Saori said.

"No-no!" Miho waved off. "Please! I don't really know how that can be possible!"

"Maybe," said Hana. "Maybe not."

"Hey!" Yukari said, noticing something. "Look at the blade!"

They looked. Etched into the center of the blade was a series of words in red, white, and blue.

"Huh?" Mako noted. "I didn't see that before; guess they suddenly appeared."

"Runes!" Saori blurted out. "The kind of magical words on something to give it power or something!"

The girls stared at Saori.

"How do you know?" Miho asked.

"Eh..." Saori fidgeted, kicking a pebble away. "I...well...I heard that boys love video games, so I got into them, in order to understand how boys think..."

Mako rolled her eyes, while the others felt their own sweat drops on their backs.

 _That's not how you know boys_ , Miho wanted to say out, but kept the words in her head.

"But they surely," Hana said. "Give off a heavenly presence; I feel safe with your blade in hand, Miho-sen-no, Miho-san."

"Thanks," Miho smiled.

"Is that Boko?" asked Yukari. She pointed at the miniature head of Boko, which was golden with light magenta, white, red, and blue markings on it. Miho held the sword at a safe distance, and pulled it.

"It's a string," she said, as the blade whirled even faster. Sparks of light flew around, as the girls gazed at it.

"Wow..." the girls remarked.

"Beautiful," Hana mused.

"Fantastic!" Yukari replied.

"Awesome!" Saori squealed.

"Better than I expected," Mako admitted.

"So shiny!" Liuyang piped.

"No..." a voice groaned from a window.

Miho immediately held her blade in a fighting stance, ready to slash. A zombie stared in horror at her, ignoring the other girls.

"Got to...warn...others!" the zombie moaned, trying to sprint away.

Miho charged, sprinting like a cheetah in the blink of an eye.

"Wow!" the girls shouted in alarm, as Miho somehow charged through the door without touching a single piece of wood; outside, they heard a loud _chop_ sound.

"Friends," Miho called, peeking into the kiosk from her window. "Sorry about that; I wanted to keep this area safe."

"Thanks," the girls began. "We're...thankful..."

All of them except Miho yawned aloud; even Hana, despite her mother's training, ended up opening her mouth very wide.

"I...I am...ah...ah! Sorry, we're sleepy," Saori finished.

"Yeah..." Mako groaned, slamming into a sofa. "Good night."

"Mako!" Saori groaned. "Just...make...sure..."

Saori collapsed unto Mako's back, snoring lightly. Liuyang lied down next to Saori, and slept like a daughter by her mother.

"So tired..." Yukari wobbled unto a chair. "Nishi...zumi...dono...take care..."

"Miho-san," Hana yawned. "You're not tired, right?"

"I guess so," Miho smiled. "I think becoming Chosen has given me a huge boost of energy."

"Use it well," Hana replied, before silently lying on the hard floor to sleep.

Miho felt a sweat drop on her back, giggling nervously.

"Wow," she said to herself. "I guess they were so tired, they fell asleep. Good thing, though; they know that I am here. But shouldn't they be...more cautious?"

"I think they're tired and stressed," Liuyang said. "Mama and...mama told me that people tire out more easily when they're stressed."

"Thanks," Miho said. She mentally noted that Liuyang did not say "papa."

 _Wonder why_ , she thought. _But I will ask later._

"Good night," Liuyang suddenly said, huddling up to Saori.

"Good night," Miho answered, as she fixed up the barricade and went up on the roof of the kiosk.

* * *

 **About 11 hours later...**

"But now," she said, swinging her blade around. "I guess the Chosen Ones do not need to sleep as much. Now that I think about it, I haven't even slept!"

Stretching, she surveyed the surroundings, her eyes serious as she saw the situation at large...

Los Santos was still in chaos. Airplanes after airplanes flew around, sometimes dropping supply crates, and sometimes dropping bombs. Helicopters hovered around; some were landing down to pick up survivors, while others were firing at something. Flames exploded out of buildings after buildings. Crowds after crowds continued to roar, even now.

Miho saw all this, and realized that her eyes could now see more.

"Huh?" Miho rubbed her eyes. "Oh, I guess Chosen Ones can see more? My eyes feel unusually sharp, for some reason. Wait a minute...is that why the PAMC tried to get me before?"

She swung her blade around, thinking.

"But I was not really Chosen, maybe?" she pondered out loud. "I definitely _feel_ Chosen, now that I have this...weapon..."

"Hmm," Miho rubbed her eyes. "I wonder...huh?"

She eyed something, squinting at it. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to zoom, like a telescope's lenses. She saw the same familiar thing made her heart drop.

"PAMC Reapers!" she whispered, holding her weapon tight. The saw started to whirl and buzz faster and louder.

Five Reaper drones flew in her direction, apparently scanning the ground. The UAV drones bore the unmistakable emblem of the PAMC: an ankh sign with a red "T" and a loop shaped to look like a water drop, but empty inside. In the middle was a black spot, and a white, empty circle surrounded the ankh symbol.

"I wonder," she said out loud. "Can I shoot with this?"

Suddenly, the saw whirled faster and faster.

"Maybe I need to make it bigger," she noted.

She concentrated, and the weapon reached its maximum size of 180 cm in length, or about six feet. She raised it with her right hand, as if firing with a handgun.

A golden ball of energy formed from the tip of the sword, and she fired it.

In the blink of an eye, the ball rapidly flew, as if fired from a railgun. It struck the middle Reaper. Apparently, it was the main Reaper, because upon impact, the other four flew in disarray.

"I guess I got the leader of the Reapers," she mused, watching.

Soon, however, the four surviving Reapers banded together, and flew away.

"Good," Miho said. "I hope they didn't notice the direction of the shot."

She raised her weapon high. It still glowed brightly. Now, as the Sun rose fully over the horizon, the weapon's glow seemed to dominate over the Sun's. A wind blew over her, and Miho suddenly noticed something.

"The ribbons," she said, looking at them.

They were still there, tied at the end of the hilt. Four ribbons fluttered in the wind: light brown, black, dark brown, and dark hazel.

"I wonder what they are," Miho pondered, staring at the ribbons.

Suddenly, the light brown ribbon flickered, as if it had a mind of its own.

"Hmm?" she stared at it.

"Miporin!" a voice boomed from below.

Miho shook herself awake.

"Coming!" Miho answered back, jumping down. Once again, Miho blinked at the ease with which she jumped; she landed easily, as if she was not jumping at all. The ribbon stopped flickering.

"There you are!" Saori said, her face out of a window. "You OK? We haven't had breakfast, and sorry for making you keep a lookout the whole night!"

"No-no," Miho answered. "I am actually not tired at all. I guess that's what Chosen Ones can do."

"Aw..." Mako groaned, her face out from another window. "Chosen Ones don't need to sleep? Maybe...nah."

"Mako!" Saori shouted. "Maybe you need to become _one_ , then your sleep problems will disappear!"

"Nah," Mako said, looking away. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Oh yeah!" Miho realized, tapping her left palm with her right fist, still holding her weapon. "We need to get to our tank! And the supply container!"

"Aw..." Mako groaned.

"Let's go!" Saori beckoned her friend, who reluctantly came back in. Miho giggled, and entered inside.

"Are you all ready?" Miho asked.

Yukari and Hana were also awake, packing up their belongings. Liuyang was sitting on a sofa, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, Liuyang," Miho greeted her.

Without a word, Liuyang got up, and hugged Miho. Miho patted her, as the others smiled.

"OK," Miho said, lifting the belongings. "Let's go quick...what?"

Miho blinked, as the others gawked at her.

"Sister," Liuyang said. "You're strong."

"Eh?" Miho asked. "What do you...oh."

Miho found herself lifting up all of the bags, hers and others. Even without looking at them fully, Miho could tell that the bags' total weight would be too much for a single girl to carry. Yet she found herself carrying everybody's stuff, as if it was nothing.

"Eh..." Miho said. "I will carry; you all have your weapons, right?"

The others silently nodded, loading their guns.

Miho fixed herself, carrying all of the belongings with her left hand, while holding her weapon with the other.

The girls stared at her.

"Are Chosen Ones that strong?" Yukari asked.

"I guess so," Miho replied. "But we better go out quick!"

"All the better," Saori said. "Now that you are Chosen, we feel safer now already!"

"Thanks," Miho said, opening the door. "Are you all ready?"

Mako and Saori loaded up their handguns, while Hana fixed her sniper rifle. Yukari wielded a steel ladder, trying to spin it around like a staff. Liuyang stood silently next to Miho.

"Ready!" they all replied.

"Let's go," Miho said, getting out.

* * *

"Oh..." the girls stared in disbelief.

"What happened here?" Liuyang asked innocently.

Something gigantic had apparently come over, and somehow took the whole carcass of their old tank away. All that remained were two of the **Schürzen** armored skirts, still bearing the Oarai and Anglerfish Team's emblems.

"Our tank!" Yukari moaned, pulling her hair and crying. "Gone!"

"No more radio for us," Saori sighed, kneeling down.

"But we have those armored skirts," Hana pointed out. "I wonder why they're still here?"

"Who cares..." Mako shivered. "Without protection from our tank, we're vulnerable."

" _Very_ vulnerable," Yukari and Saori both chimed in.

Miho said nothing, analyzing the aftermath. She approached the site, dropped her chainsaw, and picked up both of the armored skirts.

The skirts had plenty of scratches and bumps, a testament to the experiences of brutal beating. Despite that, the emblems of their school and Senshadou club still shone with bright colors.

Miho smiled.

"We may have lost our tank," she replied, putting them under her right elbow. She then picked up her chainsaw.

"Wow," Saori said. "Aren't your hands full?"

"I think so," Miho said. "But I will carry all of this."

The girls said nothing, staring back at the site where they last saw their tank.

All five Anglerfish girls stared, then bowed down.

"Goodbye," Miho eulogized. "We wish you well."

Liuyang saw, and quickly emulated them.

"No time to waste," Miho said, walking immediately towards the railroad track. "Let's go."

The girls nodded, and walked away from the site. Yukari looked back, wiping her tears away.

* * *

 **Site of the derailed train**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **7:15 AM; July 10, 20XX**

Miho analyzed the surroundings, as she dropped down the belongings. Yukari and Mako both rummaged through the bags, while Saori and Hana kept a lookout with their guns. Liuyang looked around, staring in awe at the mangled remains of the railroad.

Apparently, nobody tried to loot the container. It was bolted tight shut; furthermore, the earthquake from before somehow messed the lock, smashing into it. Instead of breaking apart, the lock and the chains that kept the door shut somehow got smashed into the door, so that it was virtually impossible to break it.

Miho, however, knew how to open it, but first...

"Saori-chan," Miho said, handing her the emergency tablet from her bag. "Try and contact my mother."

"Hai!"

"Hana-chan," Miho said. "Keep a lookout for any zombie or even bandit."

"Hai."

"Yukari-chan, Mako-chan, and Liuyang-chan," Miho said. "Stay back, and watch over the bags."

"Hai!"

"Yes!" Liuyang squealed.

Miho breathed, then raised her right hand. The girls watched her in awe, as she swung her sword. It buzzed, and Miho pulled the string. The blade whirled around like a hurricane, the teeth radiating sparks of energy.

"OK," she breathed, then readied it. "Get set...go!"

She raised her sword up, then slashed it down. The saw blade ripped into the door, and in only five seconds, the door groaned and creaked.

"There!" Miho said. She dropped her sword, which suddenly disappeared in a cloud of golden lights.

The girls behind her gawked, as Miho, oblivious to the situation, grabbed the doors with both of her hands.

"Heave..." Miho moaned. "...hah!"

The doors slammed open, but moaned. The doors were clearly mangled, but the goods inside were safely stored.

"Whew!" Miho said, dusting off her hands. "That was easy."

"It's because you're strong," her friends replied, staring at her.

"Hehe, thanks," Miho said, now getting comfortable with her newfound strength.

Miho stared at the supply container, then forcibly closed the doors.

"Huh?" the girls asked, as Miho re-locked it with some bars and her own hands.

"We'll deal with this later," she said. "All of you, carry what you can. I will...see if I can carry this."

"You kidding me?" Saori asked.

Miho stretched her hands, and stared at the intermodal container. It was definitely a typical "general purpose" type of container, made of durable closed steel. About 40 ft or 12 m long, it also was about 9.5 ft or 2.9 m tall."

"Hmm," she mused. "This container must be about four tons to about...29 tons, maybe? It depends on how much put in there."

She stretched her hands, moved her arms, and put her hands underneath the behemoth's bottom.

"Heave..." she groaned. "Ha!"

The girls gawked, as Miho lifted it up gently, as if she was a bodybuilder who lifted up a huge dumbbell effortlessly.

"I think this is about ten tons or so," Miho said. "Say, girls? Girls?"

The girls stared up at their leader, a lean figure of a Japanese girl who could now lift up a giant train cargo container like a pro.

"Now I want to be Chosen," Yukari and Saori both replied, eyes wide open.

"Let us just..." Hana said, trying to keep a calm face. "Go wherever you lead us, Miho-san?"

"Sorry about me," Miho said, giggling nervously. "We can't afford to lose you all. And if we can save this container, let us do so."

"Good point," Mako said, gawking. "Yeah, extra food..."

"...and extra stuff," the others finished her sentence.

"Umm..." Miho said, nervous at them staring at her. "Let's...just move on?"

"OK," the girls replied, still in shock.

The girls then moved ahead. Hana and Yukari both carried all of the belongings, while Saori and Mako held out their handguns. Miho kept the container up over her head with her left hand, while wielding her sword with the right. Liuyang walked by Miho's side, gazing in awe at Miho's strength.

"Oh yeah!" Miho said. "Saori-chan, did you open the tablet?"

"Oh!" Saori remembered. "I gave it to Mako."

"Let me see," said Mako, glad to be told to do something. The sight of Miho carrying the huge container frightened her.

"Mako-san, do you know how to use it?" asked Miho.

"Hmm," Mako replied, opening up the tablet. "I see three buttons."

"Three?" Miho asked, coming over. The others backed away, not wanting to be underneath the container.

"Oops," Miho said, backing away. "Sorry."

"Heh..." Mako shook. "Just come in. Anyway, there is another button?"

"Check the bottom," she replied, coming over. The giant container over Miho cast its shadow over Mako, making her shiver.

"Oh, sorry about that," said Miho, dropping the container with a thud. "OK, can you check it?"

Mako looked. The bottom frame looked all-black and smooth, except...

"Oh," Mako said, pressing it. "There is a secret button."

The secret button, which blended into the frame except for being a little bumpy, glowed red. Then, the tablet fuzzed, and a view of the bridge appeared.

"Oh," said Mako. "Apparently, they brought it to the bridge of their ship, and Shiho somehow put her tablet a little vertically."

The girls huddled together to look.

"What's your status?" Shiho's voice echoed.

"I have no visuals," a male private answered. "So far, we have seen no signs of any girl from the Senshadou Parade."

The girls craned in, as they saw only a glimpse of Shiho's black dress. However, they easily could see the private. He looked like a well-dressed man, with blond hair and blue eyes. Saori gazed at him.

"Ah..." Saori sighed.

"Wake up," Mako teased, poking her left cheek with her right hand. "Dreamhead."

Saori pouted, and commenced pounding upon her.

"Pipe down," Hana told them.

Shiho and the private seemed to talk in a low whisper, so the girls craned in further.

"What do you mean?" Shiho's voice suddenly roared. The girls all shook, then listened intently.

"Eh...ma'am," said the private in English. "I-I cannot say, but all of us are still under quarantine."

"I know," Shiho growled, her voice full of tranquil anger. "But I say it again: why can't we just land?"

"It's too dangerous," the private said. "Plus, we tried to travel down to San Diego, but the whole area is too full. They have too many ships there already. We-we have to wait for signals from San Francisco or a nearby city-"

"That is NOT what I requested!" Shiho slammed on a nearby control board. It shook not only the board, but even the chair on which the tablet was on.

"I requested," said Shiho. "That I want to land nearby Malibu, or one of the cities nearby Los Angeles. My daughter, or hopefully daughters, is stranded there. I have heard nothing from Maho, and I have the only contact with...Miho."

The girls stared, as Miho shivered.

The private coughed, trying to stay calm.

"I am going to give you," the private said with a sigh. "The real reason for the delay...But don't tell anyone, please."

"Why do you have to keep it a secret?" asked Shiho. Miho could feel a look of anger radiating from her mother; she knew that face all too well.

"Please promise me," the private begged, gritting his teeth. "Ma'am?"

Shiho sighed. Her full posture appeared, still wearing the same black dress as before. Miho shuddered; she was still scary.

"Alright," Shiho replied. "Tell me."

"The real reason," said the private, clearing his throat. "Was something I overheard. I was told to keep the boat away for security purposes, which I understood fully well. However, yesterday night, as I was going to bed, I heard a strange whisper. I tiptoed in to look. I realized that my captain was inside a dark room, talking to a strange projector. It looked...futuristic or something?"

"What is this?" Shiho asked. "Another conspiracy or something? Zombies were crazy enough; stop with the chit-chat!"

"Well," said the private, clearing his throat. "The captain was talking to someone through the projector. I decided to lie down, and eavesdrop behind a desk with blankets covering it. I peeked and listened intently..."

"And you were close enough?" asked Shiho monotonously. "Just get to the point, Paul."

Paul sighed.

"This is what the captain was talking..." he began:

* * *

"Wait," the captain said. "I have to keep everyone here?"

"The US government has told us," said a mysterious man in the projection screen. "It's part of the quarantine policy of sort. All I know is that we all are stuck, until the crisis is over."

"But why?" asked the captain. "We're not infected or something."

"You're not," said the man in the screen. "But to use Shiho."

"Use her?" asked the captain, taken aback. "How?"

"She's an authority figure," said the man in the screen. "And we have suspicions that some of the Senshadou girls are...Chosen."

"Chosen?!" the captain gasped.

"Captain Saul," said the man in the screen. "Don't you get it? Both the US government and my organization want the Chosen Ones. We desire them. We _need_ them. They have something that will change the world."

"But that does not explain everything!" Saul objected. "Zombies were crazy enough! Now, this group of...superheroes or something?!"

"They're not superheroes," the man in the screen growled.

"But why do this?" Saul asked.

"Do you question my authority?" asked the man. "Or should I expose your personal scandal? I know it full well."

"I..." the captain tried to object, but sighed in defeat. "Yes, I understand."

"Keep Shiho in place," said the man. "We'll need her for this."

"For what purpose?" Captain Saul asked, trembling.

"Do not tell her," said the man in the screen. "But both of her daughters are alive..."

"Then," said Saul. "Keep her in suspense?"

"We'll need her," said the man. "And to keep her from doing anything else."

"But Master Nick!" said the captain. "What's the purpose of it all? How do you know so many things?!"

"We have...eyes in the sky and in the shadows," said Nick. "Personal cameras or _things_ like them; they're very useful."

* * *

"Well," said Paul. "As you can see, at that part, I shook with fear. Suddenly, I felt some strange eyes or something passing by. I stayed put. Sure enough, what looked like floating eyeballs or cameras or something floated by. Their...eerie appearance creeped me out. They hovered towards my captain."

"The captain then saw them and nodded to them," said Paul.

"No one watching?" Saul asked them.

The mysterious objects shook.

"Good," said the captain. "Go and watch over Shiho. Make sure that she's not up to something. Good thing they work well as cameras, except they only work during the night."

The eyeball-like objects then floated away.

"After they disappeared," Paul said. "I continued to listen..."

* * *

"They're useful," said Nick. "Aren't they?"

"Yeah," Saul replied. "But I don't like them watching over everyone...like Big Brother."

"Security is crucial," said Nick. "Even your favorite private, Paul, needs to be watched over; I do not want anyone to know more."

"And why?" asked Saul. "All these things...going on are confusing me!"

"It is," said Nick. "In order to prevent anyone from really knowing what's going on. I prefer to keep it that way. Confusion is a way we avoid detection."

"I've read plenty of books!" said Saul. "But this situation is ridiculous! If this whole incident, the Fall of California, was a story, it makes no sense!"

"Of course it makes no sense," said Nick. "And we want to keep it that way."

"But why?" Saul objected.

"Shutting out," said Nick in an annoyed tone, and the lights went out.

Saul sighed, as he got up and slowly walked out. He then slowly closed the door, and locked it with three keys. He then limped away.

* * *

"I can tell," said Paul, shaking. "That even my captain did not like what's going on."

Shiho stood still. The girls watching also stood still, silent as stone.

"Get out," said Shiho.

"Pardon?" asked Paul.

"Escape from here," said Shiho. "You need to; you're already found."

"Huh?" asked Paul. "How am I-"

"Go-go!" Shiho whispered furiously. "Get to a lifeboat, and run away!"

Paul blinked, then obeyed as instructed. He opened a door carefully, looked around, and went out. The door closed with a creak, and Shiho was alone.

After what felt like minutes, Shiho sighed, and approached the tablet.

"Sorry about that conversation," said Shiho, her eyes watching all of the girls.

"We're alright," the girls replied.

"But you have seen," said Shiho. "And heard enough. We'll have to limit our communication from now on. I will contact you; don't contact me."

"But what happened there?" asked Liuyang.

"Little girl," Shiho sighed. "It's a lot of stuff you won't understand, but to be simple: I am trapped here, and you all need to help me."

"And how?" asked Liuyang.

"Find and ally with a good Chosen One," said Shiho. "And find me before it's too late."

The girls looked at each other, then nodded.

"And Miho," said Shiho.

"Yes?" Miho asked.

A moment of awkward silence followed.

"You know," Shiho said. "I still want you to follow in the one and only Nishizumi path. But you know that Maho is alive; find her, and that should be the best you can do for me."

"I will," Miho said. "And thank you, Oka-I mean, Shiho."

"And one more thing," Shiho said, turning around to look. She then turned back, staring at Miho.

"Umm..." Miho mumbled, sweating.

"I know you're hiding something," Shiho said. "Which I understand. But let me tell you something I heard from a dream: 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.'"

The girls stared.

"Find the truth to this whole ordeal," said Shiho. "And let's kick some...of those villains' butts."

Miho blinked, then smiled and giggled. Mother and daughter both giggled together, as the others looked on awkwardly.

"Good luck," said Shiho. "I wish you well. May the gods be with you."

"May God be with you," Miho replied.

"What are you doing down there?" a voice roared from the screen, just as Shiho turned it off. Apparently, Shiho rushed to put it in her bag or something.

The girls stared at the blank screen. Then, Miho put it back into her bag.

"Girls," Miho said. "Let's move on."

* * *

"Sorry about that," said Shiho.

"Man," the captain yawned. "I thought you were messing with my board or something!"

Shiho managed to put her tablet into her bag, just as the captain appeared. Now that she knew about the strange camera-things, Shiho could sense something watching both her and the captain.

"But yes," the captain continued. "You are still safe here; we have to wait until further orders."

"Understood," said Shiho. "Leave me in peace."

"Will do," said the captain.

"And I mean it, Saul," she replied back.

Saul just rolled his eyes in secret. Shiho went out, carrying her bag on her shoulder. She noticed the captain giving a strange nod, as something invisible trailed her. She sighed.

 _I feel like a prisoner_ , she realized. _Miho, Maho, save me._

She stopped on top of one of the hallways.

"Now that I think about it," Shiho mumbled. "There was something in her eyes..."

 _Wait a minute_ , Shiho thought, her eyes wide open. _Could it be...no way! Is Miho..._

Shiho cleared her throat, and walked fervently back to her private room. She then shut the door shut, and sensed that nothing was inside. She sighed in relief.

At least those...things don't come inside, she thought.

"OK," she said to herself, taking something out of her desk. She summoned out a few folders, with one of them titled:

Classified: Chosen Ones

"Let me check this," Shiho mused, flipping through the pages. Suddenly, she noticed something from a page.

"I knew it," she realized. "But that alone does not explain enough...I will ask her, next time."

Shiho closed the files, then looked out the window. The whole scene was one giant ocean, with gulls and terns flying above.

Shiho sighed.

"Be safe," she said out loud. "All of you."

* * *

"I hope she does not know it yet," Miho said.

"You being Chosen?" Yukari asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah," Saori said. "And Miporin, don't forget the container."

"Oh!" she realized, lifting it back up. "Thanks, Saori-chan."

"But man!" Yukari cried. "I wish we're all Chosen! Then, we can take down the bad guys for good!"

"But why keep everything so secret?" moaned Saori, as Miho stepped away to give them some space.

"It's power," said Mako nonchalantly.

The others looked at her.

"Knowledge is power," she explained. "You control knowledge, you control power. You control power..."

Mako's face darkened.

"You control the world," she finished.

Each girl felt a chill down her own spine.

"Let's..." Miho cleared her throat. "Let's go find somewhere to rest, then start from there."

The others agreed, and they walked on. They saw a few zombies, but they did not seem to notice them.

"Man!" Yukari suddenly groaned. "We lost our tank! And Nishizumi-sama is in trouble! How worse can it get?"

Miho stayed silent, but looked on.

The city was still in chaos. Zombies still roamed the streets, and survivors after survivors fended them off. More explosions burst, as a few buildings started to collapse. One man tried to ram through a horde of zombies with his sports car, only to be stopped by a giant zombie, and three zombies ripped through the hood to get him. Another man was wrestling with a bloodstained zombie, its mouth trying to bite the man.

Miho saw the carnage and everything, but turned around to face her team.

"Girls," she said, as the weapon disappeared from her right hand. She then lifted it up to them.

"I hope it will be alright," she declared. "We'll survive this, for sure."

The others looked, then put their hands together in a hand stack.

"We're in this together," she replied.

The others nodded. Hana, Yukari, Saori, and Mako all smiled at their leader.

"Well then," Miho commanded, breathing. "Panzer...Liuyang?"

The girls blinked, then looked around.

"Liuyang?" Miho gasped. "Where is she?"

"Wait!" Saori screamed. "Wasn't she here a while ago?"

The girls looked around. The wide street they walked on was empty, except for cars littering it. Zombies shambled far away from them.

"Help..."

Everybody turned around to look. Nearby, a store had its fence and door ripped out, as if something giant had crashed into it. Furniture and machines of all kinds littered the front, as if it was all a makeshift wall. On top of it, something like a human head nodded up and down, like a bobblehead doll. On the bottom, a little figure lied down motionless.

Suddenly, the body twitched, and turned around in pain, holding its left arm.

"Oh..." the girl cried out.

The girls stared in horror.

"Liuyang!" they screamed.

* * *

 **Uh oh, what happened there?**

 **Find out in the next chapter!**

 **Review, PM, like, follow etc. as usual!**


	16. Chapter 16: Four-Shadowing

**Once again, here is another chapter!**

 **My dream goal is to finish this whole story before 2017 is over!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 16: Four-Shadowing**

 **Barricaded Store**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:00 AM; July 10, 20XX**

"Liuyang! LIUYANGGG!"

All five Anglerfish girls rushed towards the little girl. Miho summoned her sword, and a blast of energy immediately fired from her sword, as she directed it to strike the zombie's decomposing head. The blast hit the zombie, causing it to shake violently, before slithering back into the window like a snake. An explosion of golden energy burst from the inside.

"Liuyang!" the girls screamed, as they descended upon the girl. Saori was the first to lift her up, only to drop her in alarm.

Liuyang held her left arm with her right hand, which was red with blood. Her arm was almost all-scarlet, with a few greenish and yellowish trails on it.

Miho shook, her weapon in hand. The weapon glowed dim, but still glowed. A ribbon of blood-red energy flowed around the blade, although Miho did not notice it.

"Liuyang!" Miho yelled. "You...you OK?"

"Sis...sister," she groaned. "Guess...hehe."

She tried to smile, but released her bloodied right hand, which was holding the upper limb. In the middle of the arm was a U-shaped mark. Green lumps, yellow spots, and black clots surrounded the teeth marks.

"Bit," Liuyang replied weakly.

Saori and Mako both saw the wound, and screamed at the top of their lungs. They knelt down, sobbing profusely, holding each other for comfort. The screams attracted three zombies nearby, which shambled towards them, only to be decapitated by a golden slash. Miho's sword whirled and buzzed furiously, as Miho continued to watch over her group.

"Stay back," she hissed, her blade buzzing with sparks of red-hot energy. A group of zombies nearby saw her, and slowly shambled away in the opposite direction.

"What happened?" Yukari screamed, sobbing into her hands. "How-how did she get-get-augh!"

Yukari tried to be reasonable, asking the one question that everybody was thinking: How did Liuyang end up far away from them, and get bitten by one of them?

Miho stood silent, but wept.

"Liuyang..." Miho sniffed, shaking as she held her weapon with reluctance. She then dropped her sword on impulse.

All five girls stood in silence, shaking visibly.

Hana silently wept, kneeling next to Liuyang. She inspected the wound.

"Bitten deep," she replied curtly. "And I see...too late."

The mark started to ooze a bluish liquid. Liuyang coughed.

"No-no-no!" Yukari cried again, pulling her hair in distress. "Not now!"

Yukari knelt down, shaking her head violently.

Miho stood still, tears flowing out. She then slowly picked up her sword, and then slammed down her sword. The sword stuck to the ground like a knife on a cutting board, as the sword glowed brighter. The sword sent an invisible shockwave, but Miho ignored the screams of zombies running away in terror. The little girl was top priority.

Miho then calmly but deliberately knelt down. Her eyes and the girl's eyes met.

"Sister..." Liuyang moaned. "Can you...hug me...before...I go?"

Miho flinched, and wept.

"Y-yes," she stuttered, and hugged her tight. Liuyang hugged back in response, smiling.

"Thank you..."

"Despair..." a voice echoed.

A zombie with a strange, single eye looked from a block away. Although it whispered, Miho's enhanced ears heard it loud and clear. She shot a glare at it, which flinched. It then shambled out in full view.

Saori saw it, and screamed, kneeling down. Her scream roused the attention of others. Yukari and Mako both took their guns out, but fidgeted with them; even Hana shook as she tried to aim with her sniper rifle.

"Liuyang?" Miho asked calmly, ignoring the zombie. "And girls, leave it alone."

The girls silently obeyed, as the single-eyed zombie shambled away.

The little girl's face started to develop veins, as if her skin was cracking. Her breathing started to turn irregular.

"Ha...ah-augh! Hah...hah...ha..." she panted.

Liuyang continued to hug her savior, trying to breathe a few more times.

"You-you...Miho-sis?...You don't-don't...hah...have to do this?" she managed cough out.

Liuyang suddenly twitched. Yukari and Mako both walked back. Saori trembled, but held her ground with Hana, who silently held out her rifle.

The same zombie walked back, shambling towards the girls.

"Despair..." it moaned again.

Three shots rang out. Mako and Saori both fired their handguns, hitting it in the chest. Hana aimed, and shot it in the neck. The zombie looked down, stunned, and fell down dead.

Mako and Saori both trembled, then threw down their guns in anger. Hana panted, breathing hard as she held her gun.

Miho held her with her own arms, unaware of something from her right arm. Her right arm glowed golden, although Miho held her eyes shut. Without realizing it, Miho's right arm touched Liuyang's bloodied arm, and the stains started to disappear.

"Please leave me..." Liuyang moaned. "I am...I am...guess I will go..."

"No," Miho gasped, wiping away her tears. "Hold on..."

"Miho...san," Hana said. She took a black robe out of one of the bags, covering herself with it. Seeing this, Yukari wiped her eyes and rummaged in her own bag, and took out black jackets.

"We have no mourning robes," she sniffed. "But these will do."

Miho hugged Liuyang, as the others put theirs on. Four girls in black stood silent, as Hana readied her rifle.

"Let me know if you have to," Hana quietly said, her face dark. "I...I will do it."

Miho was quiet still, as she hugged Liuyang. The little girl stopped trembling...

Her breathing started to slow...

She was gasping faintly...

She was trying to at least breathe once...

Then...

 _Hah..._

 _Hah..._

 _Ah..._

All was silent. The little hands started to wrap around Miho's back.

"Miho-san," Hana said, raising her rifle. "Back off, please."

Saori, Mako, and Yukari both turned around, too shaken to see what Hana would do, and had to do.

Miho said nothing, clutching with what remained of Liuyang.

Hana silently walked around, aiming her rifle at the head.

Hana squinted her eyes at her...

...and lowered her rifle down.

"Miho...san?" she asked.

Miho said nothing, tears falling down.

"Miho-san? Miho-san!" Hana gasped, dropping her sniper rifle. She forgot that it was loaded, and a single shot rang out.

"Eh?" Miho asked, turning around. Her eyes were full of tears.

"Miho-san," Hana said, covering her mouth in surprise. "You are amazing."

Miho blinked.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Hana?" Saori asked. "What...oh wow."

The girls slowly huddled around Miho. Yukari saw it, her jaws gaping in response.

"What the..." Yukari gawked.

Mako saw it, and opened mouth in surprise.

"Wow..." Mako replied. "So that's another surprise...of the Chosen."

"Wow!" Saori gasped, sobbing happily. Hana just smiled.

"Good thing I did not do it," Hana said, panting.

"Girls?" Miho asked, still oblivious. "What...happened?"

Mako pointed, and Miho looked at Liuyang.

She was asleep, and her left arm...

"What?" she gasped. "No way!"

Miho checked her clothing, no stains.

She then checked Liuyang's own pulses, then her clothing.

She was snoring.

The stains were gone.

The U-shaped mark was gone.

* * *

 **Top of an apartment building**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 10, 20XX**

"Man," Saori said, sighing in relief. "I want to be Chosen, in order to do that."

The girls were taking a break on top of an apartment building, sighing in relief. Yukari was surveying the surroundings, using her binoculars. Hana surveyed too, but using her sniper rifle, occasionally shooting down zombies. Saori was cooking over a campfire, using a pan to cook some food. Another fire was nearby, boiling water. Mako herself slept on a sofa, or tried to.

"Who put up the barricade?" asked Yukari.

"Isn't that obvious?" Mako groaned, shaking her head. "Some humans blocked the entrances with furniture and anything they could find, in order to keep the zombies away."

"Ah, sorry," said Yukari, giggling nervously. "But...you know, these are no ordinary zombies. They apparently were smart enough to climb through the windows..."

She trailed off, because everybody else understood. Previously, Miho personally blasted through the barricade, and took down the few zombies inside. Apparently, bloodstains and claw marks on the windows gave key clues that the zombies found the weak spots in the barricade, and the survivors unfortunately...

"Did not survive," Mako said nonchalantly, shrugging as she continued to lie on a sofa. However, she and others shivered, as they saw bodies after bodies, which they chose to ignore, in order to keep their minds sane.

"Mako!" Saori groaned. "You don't have to say that! And Yukarin, thanks for the tinderbox to make fire."

"You're welcome!" Yukari saluted her, before going back to her binoculars. "Isuzu-chan, I see a target that needs a shot."

"You don't have to be so formal," said Hana, as she aimed and fired. "In fact, just call me Hana, as Miho said. All of us are not just friends..."

All girls present and awake smiled, the words of Miho lingering in their minds before she went off to personally scout the area about 15 minutes ago...

* * *

 _"You don't have to go out!" Saori objected._

 _"Well," Miho said, giggling. "Now that I am strong and...magical, I don't need to be so afraid."_

 _"She's right," Hana said. "In fact, that should give her the opportunity to exercise her newfound powers."_

 _"Good point," Yukari and Mako both agreed._

 _"Keep watch over her," Miho said._

 _"OK!" they agreed, and watched her jump away. Yukari whistled, impressed at the huge jumps Miho made._

 _"She sure jumps high and long!" Yukari said. "I wish I am Chosen. Then, we can definitely travel around better!"_

 _"Just focus on watching around!" Saori moaned. "But Yukarin, can you help me to build the fire?"_

 _"Oh, and by the way," Miho said, as she came back. "Let's just be close together. No honorifics; just call each other as Americans do."_

* * *

"She knows how to help us psychologically," Mako smiled. "Good thing; the use of honorifics is annoying me."

"Mako!" Saori said, rolling her eyes. "Why are you talking, when you're trying to sleep?"

"Stop complaining," Mako made an excuse. "We're hungry. That's why I am not sleeping."

"But wasn't that amazing?" Yukari suddenly blurted out, her eyes glittering. "Nishizumi-senpai just blasted through, killing zombies like-like..."

Yukari rubbed her head, trying to find the right words.

"Like an overpowered character from anime," Saori completed her sentence. Yukari deflated in embarrassment.

"You are still amazed at her," remarked Hana, still looking through her rifle's sight. "Aren't you, Yukari?"

"But she _is_ overpowered," Mako admitted, shivering. "Imagine if someone evil had that power..."

All four girls present and awake shivered.

"Let's just avoid that thought!" Saori said. "Oh! Breakfast is ready!"

Mako shot up, drooling. Yukari joined, putting down her binoculars.

"Wipe your mouth," Saori said, and Mako obeyed without a second thought.

"And wash our hands," Mako snickered. "As Miho said."

"Mako-wait, yeah, we should," Saori replied, taking out a bucket of water. "Make sure you all wash your hands with water and soap! Good thing I brought out some soap from a local store..."

"Why do we have to?" asked Yukari, but obeyed anyway. Hana also washed off her gun, careful to avoid soaking it wet.

"As Miho said," Mako explained. "Wash our hands, or else we could get germs from the zombies."

They shivered, and Mako wasted no time in washing her hands very, VERY thoroughly.

"Don't use too much water!" Saori groaned. "I need some for our cooking and washing, too!"

The girls sighed in relief, as they dried their hands with towels.

"Man," Saori admitted. "That made me feel good. Killing zombies sure was a dirty work!"

"But yeah..." Yukari sighed, kneeling down. "Clean slate, and now..."

She then started to caress the Schürzen armored skirts, wiping them with her own towel.

"Ah..." she said. The others looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you in love with them?" asked Mako, frowning a little. "Don't turn into a zombie fan, please."

Saori also frowned, but at something else. She looked at a familiar blue can, a rectangular one with a familiar word on it.

"Ugh," she moaned. "*pam, as the Rabbit girls put it."

Mako and Yukari both drooled a little, and then wiped off their mouths.

"You want this?" Saori asked. "Here, catch."

Yukari dashed in, and captured it. She immediately opened it out, and scooped the content with her own spoon.

"Spam is edible raw?" asked Saori in disgust.

"Technically," said Mako. "It's already fully cooked."

"At least I don't mind!" Yukari said, smiling.

"Where is that zombie?" Hana asked out loud. The others looked at her.

"Who?" asked Yukari.

"The Cyclops-looking one?" asked Saori.

"You remember well," Hana remarked. Saori made a "yes" gesture, glad to understand her.

"It looked scary enough," replied Saori. "But I don't remember much, being too sad at seeing Liuyang..."

All four girls turned to look at her. On another sofa, Liuyang snored peacefully, her cute, calm face bearing a big smile. She clutched a Boko doll on her arms, covered in a blanket and on top of a few cushions from sofas.

All girls sighed in relief.

"I am glad," Saori breathed. "That she's alive."

"No mercy kill," Hana replied, smiling.

"Me too!" Mako raised her left hand in agreement.

"But then," Yukari said. "Why isn't Miho here?"

"She went out to scout," said Mako. "Remember?"

Yukari pouted.

"Still," Yukari groaned. "Why can't I help?"

"This is zombie apocalypse," said Mako. "Not Senshadou match. This is a life-and-death situation. Only Miho has the power to survive this well."

"Great point," said Yukari. "But I wonder what she's exactly scouting for...?"

* * *

 **A variety of locations...**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 10, 20XX**

Miho was jumping around, using her superhuman strength to propel herself with ease. She was testing how high she could jump, and how far she could leap. She found herself leaping over tall buildings, some as high as ten stories high, in a single bound.

"Yikes," she noted, as she jumped over such tall buildings like mere huddles in a racetrack. "This is definitely NOT in the realm of real world. I wonder..."

She stopped on top of an empty ceiling, in thought.

"What happens if we survive?" she asked herself. "Do I remain like this? Or lose it? If we lose this power, then it's all good. If not..."

She shook herself.

"Let's worry about that later," she said to herself, making a resolve. "At least all of our families are alive and safely far away. Worrying won't solve this. I promised to my team that I will come back in one piece. We are family...We smile together, laugh together..."

She sighed.

"...and cry together," she finished, and leaped again.

She kept leaping around, looking for anything of interest. She jumped down into a restroom, opened the door, and checked the faucet.

Fresh, cool water flowed out, and Miho washed her hands with soap, and checked her weapon as well.

"Hmm," she noted. "The weapon seems to clean itself. I see no bloodstains...oh well."

She leaped out of the restroom, and surveyed her surroundings again.

"A few stores," she mused. "Some eateries, some well-barricaded houses...hmm?"

She stopped, and then crouched down, like a cat observing prey. She squinted, letting her eyes zoom in.

"Wait a second," she began. "Is that-"

She stopped to dodge. A sudden blow almost hit her, but she sensed it and dodged it. Where Miho was, a hole remained, exposing the room below. She immediately summoned her sword, and parried blows after blows from a zombie.

"Interesting," she noted, jumping away to analyze her enemy.

The zombie growled, sharpening its scythe-like blades. The blades totally replaced the hands, and the zombie held them like a praying mantis.

"A Mantid Slicer?" she wondered. "I made the name up."

It roared, and leaped at her. She jumped back, and kept jumping away. The Slicer hissed in frustration, trying to land a blow.

"Does it do anything else?" she wondered, almost sounding like a taunt.

The Mantid Slicer growled, then roared. Miho noted its change, letting it transform. The body looked much like a human zombie, but more robust.

"Now that I see it and others," she mused. "Most zombies do not look very undead; on the contrary, many zombies actually look remarkably human."

Miho snapped out of her thoughts, as the Slicer charged at her. She jumped high up, so high that she glimpsed down below.

"Oops," she realized. "Well, good thing I am not Mako. I wonder how she will respond to this..."

She started to fall down, and the zombie was waiting for her. She eyed it, nothing that it was a foot taller, outgrowing its clothing. The single blade on the arm now grew into a triple-blade scythe on each, and the zombie smiled.

"Bring it on," Miho said, pointing her saw down. A huge wave of energy surrounded her, and she crashed down like a holy meteor.

The zombie screamed and tried to run away, but it was too late.

By the time Miho finished her move, the whole ceiling was gone, and Miho found herself inside of a room. She looked around, in order to make sure that she did not kill any innocent human. She sighed in relief.

"Zombies," she mused. "They retain some aspect of their former selves."

She jumped up, and resumed her errand. She kept leaping around, swinging her blade to manipulate with her blasts of energy, which floated around her like magical orbs. She noticed a few zombies, including a Blazer, a Freezer, and a Shocker. She stopped, aimed, and fired. Three clouds of golden dust floated from where the three zombies were. She stretched.

"Good," she said to herself. "I think that's good for now-"

Suddenly, she noticed a red flare flying into the sky.

"An emergency light?" she pondered, crouching down to look. Her eyes zoomed in.

"Great thing to be Chosen," she mused. "I can see without using a telescope."

She eyed the source of the light, then moved in closer.

"But I can't see through all those skyscrapers and tall buildings," she noted. "And...oh!"

She saw the source of the light: a safe zone. The perimeter was surrounded by high cement walls, with barbed wires and towers all around. The soldiers were efficiently mowing down the hordes of zombies; even Miho nodded, impressed at the great defense. Indeed, she noted that the inside of the safe zone was a complete community.

"Thousands of tents!" she noted. "Good! We have necessities and commodities there! And it's only about a mile away from where we were! I better go and report to my girls!"

She was about to leap away, but stopped.

"Wait," she realized. "What was the source of the light for?"

She then leaped towards the place, careful to avoid the attention of soldiers.

"Now that I think about it," she pondered. "I also need to hide my Chosen status-wait, what!?"

She gasped, as she sighted a man, who apparently held an empty flare gun. She realized why he fired; it was because of what was _next_ to him.

"I better get going!" Miho realized. "And tell others ASAP!"

She jumped away as fast as possible, as the man with the pistol looked. Seeing no one far away, he shrugged as he talked to another man. Next to him was a yellowish-brown tank destroyer, heavily damaged and ripped apart. However, its left side remained, showing a symbol of a turtle's green shell with a swirl underneath.

* * *

 **A mile away from the safe zone...**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:30 AM; July 10, 20XX**

"Disgusting," it moaned.

A bipedal monster trampled over the remains of many zombies. Piles of them gave off a horrible stench, as the animal threw them one after another into them. The animal moaned, spitting in disgust.

"Can't eat these," it grunted. "Worse than garbage."

After a while, the animal stopped killing, as the few zombies still standing escaped, shambling away in fear. The animal decided to leave them alone.

"Not worth my time," it groaned, walking away from the piles of rotten bodies.

It sighed, as it marched on.

"Nothing here," it groaned. "No animals to eat, too many of those...undead, and-"

Suddenly, it stopped, its nostrils flaring. It lifted its head up, sniffing the air.

"Hmm?" it noted the smell, sniffing it harder. "This...what is this? This aroma...it smells...familiar?"

It looked, squinting its golden eyes at a group of girls. They apparently came down from a building, all of them running as fast as possible. One of them was holding a little girl in her arms, while another one was carrying an enormous amount of luggage.

"Could it be...?" the animal silently approached, its clawed feet scraping the ground. The sunlight blazed upon its back, the scales glistening. It kept sniffing, and located the smell to one of the girls.

That same girls suddenly stopped, looking around. The animal hid behind a wall; being smart, it lowered its jaw, in order to avoid being seen with its long snout.

Noticing nothing, the girls continued to run towards one direction.

"Ah," it noted. "They're running towards that safe zone."

It then stalked them from behind, noting who they were.

"Wait a minute," it blinked. "One of them was carrying too much stuff for a normal human..."

It went out of its hiding, and ran parallel to the girls, but from a distance. While the girls were running in one street, the animal was running in a street parallel to it. Whenever a street perpendicular to both appeared, the animal quickly looked.

It saw her.

The girl with brown eyes, except her eyes shone a golden hue, betraying her inner soul.

"Who is she?" it growled. "Wait a minute...it's her!"

It smelled the familiar scent, and both its eyes wide with excitement. Its nostrils flared up wide open, huffing and panting like an overexcited dog.

The girl continued to run, suddenly summoning her weapon. The animal salivated even more, exposing its bright white teeth.

"Finally!" it grunted. "Now, I can challenge her."

* * *

 **So, if you have not noticed, the title is a pun on "Foreshadowing."**

 **And there are four things to note from this.**

 **I hope this is good enough! Let me know if I need to lengthen this!**

 **Thank you to everyone for the reviews and support!**

 **Note: If you notice, I added details of the girls washing their hands. Today, October 15, 2017, is the Global Handwashing Day, so I decide to add that scene in honor of that. Happy hygiene day!**


	17. Chapter 17: The Safe Zone I

**And the writing "marathon" of sort continues.**

 **This time, it's going to be...well, just read and review, thank you.**

 **(I don't want to spoil it too much all the time.)**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 17: The Safe Zone I**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:30 AM; July 10, 20XX**

"Halt!"

Two soldiers raised their rifles at five figures before them. All except one raised their hands in surrender; a brunette with kind eyes held a little girl in her hands.

"Who are you?" one of the soldier barked. A carbine raised, he glared at each girl, and approached the girls slowly. His partner stayed behind, aiming.

"We-we are survivors!" stammered a ginger-haired girl, trembling.

"We need a shelter," said the brunette with the kid in her arms. "May we enter?"

The man blinked at her. She exuded a sense of authority and kindness that surprised even him.

 _Is she the leader?_ he wondered. _She sure acts and looks like one._

"Any wounds?" the man asked with suspicion, maintaining his serious face. "And is she OK?"

"She's sleeping," the girl replied.

The man eyed the girl holding the kid. The girl, whom he took to be the leader, felt very potent, as if she was higher than even he.

"Wait there," said the soldier, as he went back to talk to his partner. The girls witnessed them talking in a low whisper, and the two nodded at each other.

The same man who approached the girls took up a walkie-talkie.

"Sir," the girls heard him talk audibly. "We have six girls in front of the gate. They all appear to be safe and healthy. Hmm? Yes, sir."

He hanged up.

"Open the gate!" he roared.

The colossal, steel-framed gate slowly opened, and the girls felt as if they were entering a prison complex.

"Eek," Saori whispered. "If there were zombies here and there, this would feel even worse."

"Yeah," Yukari grunted, fixing her belongings. She carried most of the bags, in order to help Miho avoid detection. Before entering, Miho carried most of the belongings, then shared them among her friends, so that it looked as if they all equally shared.

"We will have to see," Hana whispered.

The girls entered through the first gate, and the girls found themselves in an airlock-like space between two gates. Between the gates, except for the airlock space, numerous fences and mines lined the spaces. The first gate slowly closed; Miho noticed a few zombies shambling, even running at the gate. Shots rang out, as the soldiers on towers and walls shot them down.

"Alright, girls," said one of the soldiers inside, who came down from a hanging ladder. Miho shuddered; the ladder looked like the one from the helicopter that tried to rescue her sister from before.

"We need to check you all," the man grunted, as more came and aimed their guns at them. "So, since all of you are girls, go to that entrance."

The girls looked at where the man pointed. A small door opened up, leading to what looked like a quarantine clinic of sort. Above the sign was a women's restroom sign, apparently reused as a female-only space.

"It looks like an emergency space of sort," said Yukari.

"The kind for Ebola epidemics or something," Saori mumbled.

"Move!" one of the soldiers roared. They complied, and entered.

The girls winced, as the interior was bright white, more like a hospital room. Nurses and doctors alike went around the place, inspecting every nook and cranny for any signs of contamination.

"Why do we have to go through this section first?" Saori whispered to Hana and Miho.

"I am not sure," Hana replied.

"It's to check us for any contamination," Miho answered.

"Hello, newcomers," a woman coughed from a bed nearby.

The girls turned to look. The woman looked in her 30's, with pale skin cracked by veins and what looked like bite wounds.

"Or should I say," she grunted, smiling maliciously. "Fresh meat."

All five girls, not including Liuyang (who was asleep), shivered.

"This one's no-go," said a doctor, checking something on her clipboard. "Euthanize her."

Four soldiers clad in heavy armor suddenly came in, and surrounded the bed. Giant helmets and black masks covered their whole faces, so that no one could see through them. Then, they lifted up the whole bed, including the mattress, and took the woman away. The girls moved aside to let them through.

"Oh boy," Yukari shivered, hiding behind Miho.

"Why move the whole bed?" asked Saori, trembling.

"Contamination can be on the bed," explained Miho.

"Miporin," said Saori. "You sure know your zombie survival a lot!"

Miho giggled.

"You six!" another soldier came out, this time a female, barking orders. "Come here! We need to pat you all down!"

"Coming," Miho answered for the whole group, and the six girls followed in.

"Liuyang," Miho said. "Wake up."

"Hmm?" she responded, yawning and stretching. "Oh, we're safe, right?"

"We are," Miho replied, smiling.

"Oh boy," Saori groaned, as she and others entered a room that they all knew well. "I hated doing this for the airport security..."

"Girls," the female soldier said. "We have to check everything on you, including your whole body."

The girls commenced undressing their whole bodies, leaving their clothing in separate baskets. Then, the girls dropped their bags and other belongings into other baskets.

"It really feels like the airport security measures," Mako noted nonchalantly.

"But more invasive," Hana replied, her voice trembling a little.

"Good thing only girls are here," Saori said.

"Now, girls," said a nurse. "Let's check you all."

Saori was visibly the most disturbed, as each girl was escorted into a separate section. All of the girls saw each other being patted down. All of them yelped to various degree, as they found their hair pulled.

"Ouch!" Saori screamed.

"Hold your tongue," her nurse casually commented. "We're checking to make sure that your hair is real."

"Why?" Mako asked, wincing a little.

She did not answer, as she focused on checking the girls' bodies with intense focus. Miho kept her yelping to a minimum, wincing from the pain. She quickly recovered, which impressed her nurse.

"You're a strong one," she complimented.

"Thank you," Miho replied politely.

"And a polite one," she added.

Nearby, separated by a translucent barrier of tent wall, the girls could see silhouettes of the soldiers ripping out their bags, and inspecting every nook and cranny within. Even their own clothes suffered; the soldiers almost ripped out some of the uniforms.

"Good thing they're not looking at us," mumbled Saori, blushing profusely.

"Hang on," Yukari replied plainly.

"Hmm?" one of the nurses suddenly noted. "Doctor, everyone. Look."

Nurses and doctors alike looked, and so did the girls. Miho blushed, as the others eyed her.

"Y-yes?" Miho asked, embarrassed.

 _Oh no_ , she thought. _I hope they're not looking at me, thinking I am Chosen..._

"Strange," the nurse noted. "All humans have blemishes of sort, but yours have none."

"Isn't that normal?" asked Yukari, trying to distract the nurse.

"Wait..." the nurse eyed Miho more closely. Miho tried to avoid looking back, fearing that the nurse could see her as Chosen.

"Hmm..." the nurse said. "Nope, false alarm."

The girls, especially Miho, sighed in relief as the doctors and nurses resumed their activities.

* * *

 **Safe Zone**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **11:30 AM; July 10, 20XX**

"You are clear," a soldier said.

The girls all got back into their uniforms, and checked their belongings.

"Man!" Saori groaned. "Now, I have refold my stuff again!"

"My poor ikebana set," Hana sighed, as it apparently was forced open; a huge dent marred its beautiful, flowery casing.

"They took away my tinderbox!" Yukari wailed. "And all of our weapons, too!"

"For security reasons," one of the soldiers retorted. "A few people inside caused arson, so we had to do what we had to do."

"But," he continued. "At least you can keep your...black, giant metal things?"

Yukari and Miho each held an armored skirt, the only things they had from their old tank.

"Who ate my candy?" Mako growled. Her face twitched with subtle rage.

"Oh," the soldier realized. "I know who did it. I will deal with her; here, I have a spare candy."

Mako immediately snatched the lollipop, and unwrapped it.

"Thank you," she replied, sucking on it immediately.

The soldier nodded, then came back inside the tent.

"Alright," another soldier grunted, signaling at a tower. "You girls are set to enter. You will meet one of our colonels here, and he will tell you what to do next."

The second door, as big and ominous as the first, slowly opened. This time, the girls sighed in relief, as they finally saw a bustling crowd. Streams of people walked back and forth, as if going on a shopping spree.

The door slowly closed behind, and the soldiers resumed their posts. The girls looked towards the base, and sighed in great relief.

"A soup kitchen!" Saori sighed in relief.

"A grocery store," Hana said, covering her mouth.

"A whole lot of tanks!" Yukari squealed, as a few rumbled by. "Those are M1 Abrams! Specifically, the M1A2 SEPv3, the pride of America!"

She stopped, once she saw the others' stares.

"Oops," she said, blushing. "But those are cool tanks!"

"A candy store," Mako panted, staring at a vendor giving out rations of candies to adults and children alike.

"So," a voice boomed. "You are fortunate to be alive."

The girls turned around to look. The man was colossal, with an eagle insignia on his chest. His bulletproof vest and high-quality uniform were robust and looked very advanced. For some reason, Miho sensed something from the vest.

 _What is this feeling?_ she wondered. _I have been feeling this since..._

"I am Colonel Grant," the man boomed. "And girls, welcome to our safe zone."

The girls sighed in relief.

"But although you are free to roam around," he continued. "It's your decision to know what to do next. Make sure you all register at that tent."

He pointed at a rotund tent. Another huge man stood nearby; he wore a green camouflage military uniform and a blue-green turban.

Miho eyed him, blinking, then gasped.

"Agent Singh," she noted.

"Who?" asked Saori.

"You have good memory," Yukari noted in a low whisper.

"The man from Miho's dreams," Hana explained.

Saori shivered.

The girls commenced walking towards the tent. The giant, bearded man looked all around with an ominous glare.

"Halt!" he roared at the girls. His voice was massive, and scared them.

"Hello," Miho managed to greet. "We are new here, and-"

"Six new virgins, huh?" he grunted, cutting her off.

All five Anglerfish girls felt a shiver down their spines. Liuyang blinked, oblivious.

 _I don't want to hear that again_ , Miho thought. _Ever since the bandits said the same thing..._

"Yes," Miho replied calmly. The man glared at her, scrutinizing him.

 _I hope he does not notice me as Chosen_ , she prayed internally. _God or gods, help me._

"Impressive," he retorted. "Well, I am Mr. Krishna Chandragupta, or specifically Corporal Krishna Chandragupta. I am a honored member to serve in this Red-Green Zone #3. Makesureallyougetyourpaper. Deal?"

The girls blinked. He quickly said the last part very fast. Miho, however, heard him clearly.

 _Maybe it's due to my improved hearing_ , Miho wondered. _Wow, I am learning a lot already_.

"Yes," she replied. "We will get our paper. Thank you."

The man nodded.

"He's not the type to ask questions," whispered Saori, as the girls entered in. "But thanks for answering, Miporin."

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling.

"You-you are right," Hana shivered. "Even I feel... _odd_ with him."

"He's-" Yukari began to say, but Miho gave her a look to silence her.

Yukari nodded, understanding the situation.

 _Agent Singh must be in disguise_ , Miho thought. _I better be careful around him._

Suddenly, she heard him, apparently using a secret speaker inside his collar. While they were in line, Miho turned her head around, in order to better listen:

"Targets are negative," she heard him whisper. "They're not Chosen."

"Oh ****," the person on the other side groaned. "Thought the Chosen Ones were coming in that zone!"

"The tracker did signal that," said Singh. "But either we lost the signal, or they're not here."

"What?! ***** it!" the man in the phone cursed. "We were SOOO close!"

"Mr. Nick," Singh said, grunting. "I am tired of this place anyway. Too peaceful. I want a better place."

"Your wish is granted," Nick sighed. "Glory to our PAMC, so Nick out."

 _Nick_...Miho thought. _So, he must be the leader behind the PAMC, or at least one of the leaders?_

Suddenly, a thought struck her.

 _Wait a minute_ , she thought. _Is that Nick guy the same person as that Nicolae guy from earlier?_

As her friends waited in line, Miho was in a deep thought...

 _So_ , Miho thought. _Let's see..._

* * *

 _Agent Singh from my dream is apparently here, because I recognize his face. He's not to be messed with, since he murdered one of the Watchers in cold blood. Plus, seeing him now, he's definitely strong. Now that I think about it, I sensed something from his uniform. Is this...some kind of an energy field? I felt it a lot around here; what is this feeling? I now feel this after becoming Chosen. Is it because there are Chosen here? No, I feel it only from their clothing; the uniforms radiate the energy, not themselves._

 _But anyway, I can think about that later. For now, he's in disguise, in order to avoid detection, since PAMC is at odds with the US government. So, he must be a double agent who works for PAMC, and using that to spy on the US government. And Nicolae...the guy who tortured Rudolf, the scientist who told Joshua Cracker about the Orb and the apocalypse...is he the same as Nick? Or are they different?_

* * *

"Hello?"

Miho snapped out of her trance. She stared down at a woman in front of her. Immediately, Miho turned around. Agent Singh was walking away, towards a helipad where a helicopter was waiting for him.

"Wait please," she told the attendant, as she walked out. Her friends followed her. She watched as Singh took off on the helicopter. She sighed.

"Who is he?" Miho then came back, asking the woman.

"He's one of the temporary guards," the woman. "To be honest, I am glad that he's gone; he had this...murderous air about him that disturbed me."

 _Suspicion confirmed_ , Miho thought.

"But back to the point," she cleared her throat. "Let me see...Who are you all?"

"I am Liuyang!" Liuyang replied. "And these are-"

Saori immediately clapped her mouth shut, and looked at each other. Miho decided to give out their American names.

* * *

Hours ago...

 _"Hey," Saori said. "I don't think we should give away our names."_

 _"We agree," Hana said. "This is for our sake, but especially for Miho's sake."_

 _"Good point," Mako chimed in._

 _"I will go by Guderian!" Yukari blurted out._

 _"No-no," Miho said. "Let's come up with a name that we can remember well..."_

 _"And something American," Mako stated._

* * *

"Thank you," said the woman, looking at their paperworks. "Welcome to Red-Green Zone #3, Michelle, Sarah, Hannah, Eunice, and Mona."

"And Liuyang," Miho added.

 _Liuyang already gave away her name_ , Miho thought. _She can keep it, for now._

"Thank you!" the woman said, giving them out their name tags; the special printer behind her was very efficient. "Oh, by the way, do you know what this zone is?"

"Red-Green Zone?" asked Saori. "Nope."

"Of course, few people outside of California know about it, but you are the lucky ones," she said. "Oh! It's rude to forget saying my name. Hello, I am Phoebe Peterson, and you are in one of the three best safe zones right now."

"Why?" asked Miho.

"You see, Michelle," she continued, this time in a lower whisper. "A Red-Green zone is the best zone you can be in. A Red-Green zone is a military safe zone, so that you have complete protection, like a Green zone. However, it also has power plants, warehouses, factories, and other necessities that are useful in keeping the...undead at bay, like a Red zone."

"Hence the Red-Green label," Mako said.

"Of course!" Phoebe said, clapping her hands. "But there are only a few of these left, so take your time! By the way, if you want free living space and..."

She lowered her voice even further.

"...no annoying security officials to check you," she whispered. "Go to the Block Four."

"Why, Phoebe?" asked Miho.

"For some reasons," she admitted. "Block Four is stereotyped as full of poor people and misfits. In reality, Block Three is full of such people, because they get free food in that block. Unfortunately, that block is overrun, and many better-minded people have settled in Block Four. Blocks One and Two are off-limits; the filthy rich, spoiled **** people bribe soldiers there to keep those blocks protected."

"Hmm," said Miho.

"But don't tell anyone," said Phoebe. "You girls definitely are not the poor type; I see that you are normal highschool girls trying to find a way home."

"Yes!" Saori cheered. "Because we are-ahem! We want to go home, or at least escape from here."

"There you go!" Phoebe said, handing them some more paperwork. "Keep those safe, and be off!"

The girls waved her and said goodbye, as they traveled through the area. Miho then held her name tag, which said "Michelle" in bright black ink.

"Good thing we don't have to give away our last names," Miho said, as she and others started to check the map that Phoebe gave them. Saori caressed her name tag of "Sarah."

"I wonder if having an American name," Saori said. "Will make me more popular."

The others stared at her.

"But yours is...ordinary," Saori said. "You simply changed yours from 'Hana' to 'Hannah.'"

"Yukari changed hers the most," Mako grunted. "She's Eunice here."

"But why Mona?" asked Saori.

"Four letters in the English language," she replied. "Easy as pie."

"Mako," Saori groaned. "But I agree."

Miho let the girls talk among themselves, as they followed her around and checked the map. Liuyang held unto Miho's right hand, like a daughter to her beloved mother. Miho continued to walk, and looked around.

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:30 AM; July 10, 20XX**

The Red-Green Zone #3 sure looked like an ordinary settlement. Clean, asphalt roads snaked through rows after rows of buildings, while streams of people went back and forth. It really felt like a living, normal city block.

"If this was not an apocalypse," Saori pouted. "This would definitely feel like a downtown!"

"You're right!" Miho gasped.

"And it's hot!" Saori groaned. "Where is my sun hat?"

"We left our luggage bags in the hotel," said Hana. "Remember?"

Saori pouted gloomily.

"Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath," Miho suddenly said, thinking.

The others looked at her, stunned. Her words were not only spot on; she spoke in a different...voice.

"Mi-Miporin?" Saori asked.

Miho blinked.

"Eh?" she asked. "How did I say that? And I did sound...weird?"

"Is that what happens to Chosen Ones?" Mako noted. "Hmm, I need to keep this in mind."

"And how?" Saori asked.

Mako took out a pocket notebook.

"My memory is limited," she said. "I wrote all of my thoughts about this...Chosen One thing...just in case."

"You are genius!" Saori cheered, hugging her. "Finally, you're being proactive with something, for once!"

"Did I sound that weird?" Miho asked, as Mako wrote down.

"Actually no," she replied. "But it was...deeper and more mature...as if you were a mother."

Mako suddenly giggled, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you for being our mother," Mako said. "Wealth is worthless, but friends and family are worth it."

Miho smiled.

"But say," Yukari said. "There are so many businesses here."

Indeed, Miho also noted that most buildings with awnings out were indeed vendors, selling a variety of merchandise. From fresh meat to books, businesspeople were going about their routine. Miho was surprised at the casual feel of it all.

"Except for guns," Yukari pointed out.

She was right. Miho eyed some soldiers going back and forth. Clad in distinct, bulletproof vests and outfits, the soldiers looked more like robotic warriors, patrolling the streets to maintain order from above. Most of them wore black masks that covered their faces, while some were bareheaded. Some even looked bulky, as if they were wearing an additional suit beneath. Still, Miho could not shake the feeling of what they were now:

They were now the police of this new society.

"Halt!" a robust soldier barked.

The girls obeyed, as he came over, eyeing them with suspicion.

"Who are you?" he ordered.

Silently, Miho pointed at her name tag, smiling nervously. The soldier glared through his black, tinted military goggles.

"Good!" he mumbled. "Sorry about the intrusion; recently, we've had one too many newcomers turn hostile or something."

The girls looked at each other.

"No-no," the soldier said, taking off his black mask to show his smile. "Most of them did not turn. But many broke down, stressed to the point of insanity by the situation we're in, right now."

He was white, with a handsome face and blue eyes. Saori sighed dreamily at his face.

"Were there any zombies?" blurted out Yukari. Saori's face soured.

"Fortunately no," he replied, but sighed. "But two weeks ago, a couple came in. Husband and wife both started to scream and turn, and it was mayhem here. We blocked off an entire section, the Section 2, and had to neutralize the two. While checking the survivors inside for any bite wounds, we checked the duo. Turns out both of them wore wigs, in order to hide their bite wounds on top of their heads."

"And that's why our hair was pulled," Miho inferred. "In order to make sure that our hair was real."

"Correct," the soldier said, sighing. "Michelle, you look like the kind who really understand what's going on. You're quite mature for a girl, so I am going to say this..."

He looked around, and motioned them to follow him. They followed the man, who directed them into a vacant vendor. He opened the barricaded doors, and motioned them in. Miho noted that it was an empty grocery store, stripped of all of its merchandise. The man then took them through the stairs all the way up to the ceiling.

"Here we are," he said. "This is one of my favorite places to hang out when I want some private space. By the way, I am Jonah Johnson, rookie Private here. And welcome to one of Los Santos' safe zones for now."

The girls stared. Had it not been for the towering walls of concrete and steel in the near distance, the whole area looked like a bustling metropolitan area.

"See your map?" he asked. "You see, this safe zone is unusual for being quite organized. Early on, the real leader of this area, General Henry North, decided to REALLY keep this area maintained. That way, we know who's who."

"How?" asked Miho. She had a suspicion about it...

"See your map," he asked again.

They looked. It was black-and-white, although there were some gray shades. Some of them were called "Blocks," while others were called "Sections."

"Blocks are the residential districts," Jonah explained. "He decided to do that, just to make it easy to remember. There were five, but now only four Blocks. Block 1 is where the..."

He trailed off, growling very viciously.

"...the filthy rich people live," he finished. "Sorry girls, but even now, they live as if there is no apocalypse outside."

"Don't they even try and fly out?" Yukari asked, incredulous.

"Most of them live in Los Santos," he explained. "So, they are very attached to living here. The only way to drive them off is if the walls break, and we have to evacuate. However, it's virtually impossible, because they paid millions of dollars to put up extra defenses around their own Block."

"The Super Rich Block, eh?" Mako inferred, and Jonah nodded. He clearly expressed his disdain, which the girls sympathized with.

"They do a lot of bribing these days," he sighed. "Some of them even invest in the stock market, as if nothing was even happening all around!"

The girls sighed, shaking their heads at the extent of ignorance.

"Except for one."

The girls blinked.

"The Wellingtons," he said, and the girls gasped.

"Yes," he continued. "You are surprised to realize that there are good people who are rich. So, the Wellingtons apparently somehow do the unthinkable; most of them chose to live off, pretending to be middle-class. That way, they were able to understand the pain and suffering of most people. I heard that they fled, but they are reported missing."

"Who?" asked Miho.

"Let's see," Jonah frowned to think. "Jorge Wellington, Martha Wellington, Gabriel Wellington, and...Maylee Wellington."

Liuyang tried to shout, but Saori hushed her.

"But they have not returned," said Jonah, sighing. "And now, other families in the Block want the inheritance. There are only three Wellingtons living there: Anastasia Wellington, Allison Wellington, and Anna Wellington."

"Three A's," Mako mumbled.

"All of them are holding their ground," said Jonah. "Despite the rumors, they still believe that Jorge and his family are safe and sound. It's sad that the US military considers the richest people as the most important. So many rich ones are VIP's these days..."

Miho looked at her group. They all agreed to NOT say about what happened to the family.

"And then," he continued. "There's the Block 2. Block 2 is less prestigious than 1, but is full of people who are as arrogant as, or more so, than those from 1. Strangely, they seem even more xenophobic than the Block 1 people. A few poorer people managed to stay in there, and then they...yeah, became like them."

The girls blinked.

"You all should avoid Block 3," he told them. "Block 3 is full of criminals, misfits, and all kinds of outcasts now. We've been sending emergency aid, but it's almost like a war zone there, now. In fact, remember I said about Section 2?"

The girls nodded.

"Section 2 was right next to Block 3," he said, and the girls gasped. "And...yeah, it's now blocked off literally now."

"Wait," Yukari blurted out. "It's closed off?"

"Not long ago," he admitted. "In fact, most people do not know it here, but the Block is 'temporarily quarantined.' In reality, it is permanently shut off, due to potential infections inside."

Miho shook her head, a single tear coming out of her right eye.

"Then there are Block 4 and Block 5," he said. "Block 4 is your best bet. You are lucky that I found you, or else you had to go to Block 5."

"Why?" Miho asked.

"After the quarantine of Block 3," Jonah explained. "Most of the poor and the lowly were forced to migrate to Block 5, and now it's a mess there. The security here got very tight lately, and are cracking down on everything going on there, from attempted murder to drug trade. Blocks 1, 2, and 4 are the only truly stable residential districts here, and you better stay away from 3 and 5. Of course, I don't need to say about 3, since it's closed-off already."

The girls nodded.

"Good," he continued. "And the Sections are where we have supplies and everything we need. Section 1 is off limits; it's for the leaders of this entire safe zone. Section 2 was formerly a major trading community; now, it's a zombie survival area."

"Huh?" the girls asked.

"Due to the recent incidents there," he said. "And by the order of General North, the whole Section is now one massive Colosseum, where rookies train against captured zombies. Some survive and rise up the ranks. Others...yeah."

The girls shivered.

"Section 3," he continued. "Is our main farming region. Specifically, it raises fruits, vegetables, and even grains that we need. While supplies do come in, we make do with what we can. Finding the soil there quite fertile, we ended up doing this."

"And was it already a farming area to begin with?" asked Mako. "With livestock?"

"Yes," he answered sheepishly. "That's why."

"What about the other Sections?" asked Miho.

"Ahem," he continued. "Section 4 is where most of our factories and power plants are. Section 5 is the only docking port here; it is the only way for ships and boats to enter."

"Did anyone try and enter via boats?" asked Mako.

"North orders all of us," he replied. "That unless they are officially here, shoot them on sight.

"Even survivors?" asked Miho, incredulous.

"Even survivors," he gloomily replied.

The girls shivered.

"Section 6 is our military headquarters area," Jonah continued. "And finally, we have Section 7, which is where we have hospitals and labs and all kinds of people to find a cure for the outbreak and such."

"What about the airports?" asked Miho.

"All destroyed," he replied, sighing. "The only air forms of transportation we can do is to use helicopters and aircraft that can land on helipads or something. The airstrips were torn apart, in order to make space for survivors."

"And to prevent people from escaping by plane," Mako added, and Jonah nodded.

"Wait a minute," Miho said. "What do you have at Section 6? You said that it's a military section."

Jonah sighed, and made crossed his arms together in a "no" sign.

"I am sorry," he said. "All I can say is that we have military presence, that's all."

"But why?" she asked again. For some reason, Jonah felt something...from those eyes.

Jonah sighed again, then looked around.

"Good," he whispered, coming in close. The other girls huddled around, in order to shield him.

"They're hiding something," he said. "That's why we're keeping this a little too...secret."

The girls blinked.

"Anyway," he said, his voice back to normal. "I have a strict schedule to follow, so move on!"

The girls obeyed, and went down the stairs. Then, Jonah closed the gates and doors of the building, and locked them tightly with a keychain. It held a huge number of keys.

"OK," Jonah said, putting back his helmet and mask on. "I have to go."

He suddenly ran off, apparently almost late with a meeting.

"I wonder..." Miho mused. "Girls."

"Yes?" all five others turned.

"We're in this together," she said. "We live together, escape together, and love together."

The girls all nodded.

"You too," Miho said. Liuyang nodded fervently.

"What about the Wellingtons?" she suddenly asked. "And...Maylee?"

Miho instantly knew what to say, knowing full well that she would ask the hard question.

"We have to focus on survival," Miho said. "For now, then we can worry about that later, if we can."

"OK!" Liuyang nodded, oblivious to the other girls sighing in relief. Miho successfully avoided lying to Liuyang, and also avoided answering the question.

"So," Miho said. "First things first: let's go to Block 4 and settle down."

* * *

 **Safe Zone**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **1:30 PM; July 10, 20XX**

"We are here," Miho said, as the others panted. "Oh, sorry about that."

"No-no!" Yukari groaned. "It's just...we're tired."

The California sun continued to scorch the apocalyptic world, yet life still flourished. Behind the giant walls, keeping the zombies of all kinds away, a whole civilization maintained its energy and vigor, and Block 4 was no exception. Still, the California sun shone intensely.

"Good thing to have newspapers around!" Saori groaned, using one as a makeshift "umbrella."

Hana nicely folded hers into a hat, while the others were bareheaded.

"Anyway," Miho said. "We're here."

The six girls all stared at the walled section. Each block and each section was clearly fenced off, both for security and for organization. The walls and fences, mostly made of metal and concrete, gave a sense of stability and protection.

Miho, however, was bothered by the walls.

"They're so well-made," Miho pondered.

"Why?" Yukari asked. "Isn't that great?"

"It is," she said. "But this fast? How was the government able to make these so fast? I also feel something from the walls, too..."

 _The same as I felt from those soldiers' uniforms_ , she thought.

The girls all looked at each other.

"Made by a Chosen?" Mako asked.

Miho slowly nodded.

"I believe so," she said. "I feel some...magical energy radiating from the walls."

"That makes sense," Mako said. "Now that you point out, these walls are not only well-built; they're new, too."

"We'll think about that later," Miho said. "For now, let's find a space to use."

 _And not tell them about the soldiers' uniforms yet_ , she thought. _They also radiated out the same energy..._

The girls then went in, and noticed that there were disaster relief tents everywhere. White, dome-like and yurt-like tents dotted the area in neat rows, like real houses.

"Let's find one big enough for six girls," Miho said, as she led the team. The girls walked around, as people filed in and out like crowds in downtown. Miho led the front, with Liuyang by her side. Yukari followed right behind, carrying the biggest loads. Saori and Hana carried their bags in the front, and Mako was at the very rear.

There was a good reason why they did this.

"No stealing!" Saori said, slapping a hand that reached out for her bag. The middle-aged man merely grunted, and walked away.

"Man," Yukari said. "It's every man for himself of sort, for some people right?"

"Unfortunately," Hana said, shaking her head at another man reaching out. "No."

Her glare scared the man, who looked younger, and left without a word.

"Sir!" Miho called out to a uniformed man, who was inspecting an apparently empty dome-shaped tent.

The man turned to look.

"Oh," he noted, as Miho flashed out her name tag and her clipboard of paperwork. "You're one of the newcomers, huh?"

"5.4 m-wide tent!" Yukari noted. "Family-size, great!"

"May we have this?" Miho asked.

"Oh," he said. "Sure, you can. In fact, I was having trouble with selling this thing, so I will give it to you all for free."

"Thank you!" the girls replied, bowing down.

"Oh..." the uniformed man blurted out, flabbergasted. "You...you're the nicest newcomers I've ever met."

The girls blinked.

"Here," he told them. "Come inside."

The girls entered.

"Yes!" Yukari cheered. "Big enough for the six of us!"

"OK," the man said, closing the door. "So, I also want to give you a little reward for your gratitude..."

He gave Miho 12 tickets. Miho blinked, as they were all white, with a strange, ankh-like symbol on it.

"Tickets to a free all-you-can-eat buffet," he mumbled. "Frankly, I got tired to all-you-can-eat, because I risk getting fat too many times. Plus, you all were the nicest girls-and nicest newcomers-I've ever met. I guess you all look very idealistic and very optimistic."

All six girls stared, gawking. Hana took out a handkerchief, in order to keep her mouth from drooling.

"It's all thanks to Mi-Michelle," Yukari declared.

"Michelle, huh?" he asked, his eyes looking a little dreamy. "Oops, sorry. So, use that well. But I have to get out. I will mark this tent as occupied and sold. Don't worry about payment; I will pay it, as a double reward for your troubles."

"Thank you!" the girls answered, and bowed down again.

"Th-thanks," he replied. "Oh yeah, by the way, I am Private Ryan. Thank you."

"Private Ryan?" Yukari pondered. "Where did I hear that?"

"Anyway," said Miho. "Girls, let's settle down."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **2:00 PM; July 10, 20XX**

"Finally done," Miho sighed, as she stretched in front of the dome tent's door.

Inside, the girls all managed to make up their own beds and living quarter. Miho's was mostly plain and with a sleeping bag, except for her giant duffel bag and a Boko doll. Saori's sleeping bag had a mirror and some cosmetics nearby. Hana's already had weeds around her sleeping bag, as a decoration. Yukari's...had the armored skirts from their old tank.

"Good thing we hid these," Yukari said. "We found paint and painted these black, in order to avoid detection. Thanks, Nishizumi-dono."

"You're welcome," Miho said, peeking inside. "But I am amazed that the guards even let us keep them."

Mako's was also plain, except for a large pile of snack bags.

"How did you sneak away with snacks?!" Saori groaned.

"Did not steal," she replied. "I made bets, and won them by a landslide."

Miho smiled, and let them talk as she looked around.

Everything appeared both busy and normal, except for the presence of soldiers and walls all around. She suddenly looked up at the sky.

"God," she said out loud. "What will you do next?"

Silence.

"But," she said, more to herself than to anyone. "I am so glad that we're safe and sound. The guards let us have everything except for our guns, knives, and weapons, which were taken away. But at least we have the armored skirts, and everything else. We are now settled. But...what can we do next?"

Suddenly, she felt something.

"Wait," she realized. "Didn't I remember something? I came to my friends to tell them...what did I come here for?"

Suddenly, she remembered and gasped.

"Oh no," she entered back into the tent. The girls stood back, as Miho's sword suddenly appeared. It did not whirl, but the ribbons, four on the tip of the hilt, started to flicker.

"What is going on?" asked Saori, as she and others stared in shock.

"Oh! Sorry," Miho said, making her weapon disappear. "Girls, I remember something! Remember why I brought you all here?"

"N-no?" they replied.

"Do-do you remember why I came back to get you all to come here, in the first place?" Miho asked.

"It's a safe zone," Mako said. "Why?"

"The tank," she replied.

"Oh!" Yukari began. "There are plenty of tanks here-wait a minute, our team's tank?!"

All except Liuyang gasped in unison.

"Where do they hold it?" Saori asked.

"Let me think..." Miho tried to recall.

* * *

 **Somewhere in Section 6...**

"Sir," said a soldier. "What's this?"

"We're told to guard this," a more elite soldier replied. "But I don't know why."

"It's trash now!" the previous soldier groaned.

The two stared at the ruined tank before them, as others patrolled around it.

"We're told that it has something special," said the older soldier. "Something about a clue to solving the apocalypse."

"What is this tank, anyway?" asked the younger one.

"It's a type of WWII-era tank," the older one replied. "It's a Hetzer."

* * *

 **What will happen next?**

 **Find out, as this is a two-part section about Red-Green Zone #3!**

 **Review, like, follow etc. as usual!**

 **I thank Trex98 for the idea of the ribbons.**

 **I give a shout-out to aGuestfromGreece45 and DarthFii for their support and help!**


	18. Chapter 18: New Revelation

**Yes, another chapter again! This one is more of a chapter to help answer some important questions.**

 **I hope this is useful, so wish me well!**

 **And yes, the next chapter will continue on from the previous chapter.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 18: New Revelation**

 **Project Aqaba Management Center**

 **Hidden Location**

 **San Diego, CA, USA**

 **2:00 PM; July 10, 20XX**

"Sir."

"Report..."

"Are you tired?"

"Yes..."

"Sir?"

"Have you captured them yet?"

"No, sir."

"..."

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"We have captured 451 more of the Chosen Ones."

"That does not matter much."

"Ah, you're looking for them, specifically for _her_."

"Yes."

"..."

"Who's she again?"

* * *

Samson stood in front of his boss' desk, still as stone. Mr. Nick fidgeted with his hands, as if thinking. In reality, he was partially thinking, and partially panting.

Despite his best efforts, Samson could sense the nervousness as clearly as a police dog could sniff out drugs.

"Samson," Nick said, leaning on his seat to try and calm down. "Do you know how serious this has become?"

"Well," Samson fidgeted. "Apparently, it's something like out of a fantasy book or something."

"It is," Nick sighed. "I have to admit, I wish that all these things were just pure science."

"No magic?" Samson asked.

"No magic," Nick groaned. "I am tired of magic, for crying out loud."

Silence filled the ominous desk room. A machine revving up roared in the distance, the only sound to disrupt the strange silence inside.

"But what happened?" Samson finally broke the calm.

"Apparently," Nick explained, sighing. "The Orb does NOT empower all Chosen Ones equally. All Chosen Ones are all girls, and all of them are superhuman in terms of strength and everything."

"And what do we know about them?" asked Samson. "Other than those?"

"You see what happened to the Omega Squad Four, didn't you?" Nick asked.

Samson gulped.

"Yes," he stammered. "Sir."

"All of our Omega Squads," Nick growled. "The strongest we have...unfortunately underestimated our enemies."

"It's because they're trained against natural enemies," Samson stated. "And not against _supernatural_ ones."

Nick only growled, rolling his eyes.

"Even I wish that such things were a myth," Nick said. "Even the Senshadou girls are tame compared to that."

"Schoolgirls driving huge tanks," said Samson. "Don't we have a similar sport here?"

"That's not the point," said Nick, slamming on his desk. His right, bandaged hand started to bleed a little.

"Mr. Nick," said a nurse, her face gloomy. "Please think about your hand, for once."

"This is a lot to take in," Nick hissed. "I brought Samson in, because I realize that his mission was too dangerous. I told him to stop the mission. We lost our top four squads already."

"But new ones are coming in," she replied plainly.

"But they're ready in a few days," he growled. "A few days can turn into weeks, and we need to solve this crisis, fast..."

"Agent Singh is now in a different safe zone," Samson said, trying to change the topic. "There, he found the closest to finding Mi...Miho-girl, right?"

Both the nurse and Nick immediately turned to look at him.

"Report," Nick commanded, his face back to normal.

"Singh tried to capture them," Samson stated. "But they somehow climbed over the walls, and escaped."

"**** it!" Nick roared, slamming on his desk again. The nurse caught his right hand, preventing it from hitting.

"Those walls are impossible to climb!" Nick hissed. "We empowered them with energy extracted from the Chosen Ones! We made them impervious to all zombies, and they are too smooth to climb!"

"Well," said Samson. "The walls and vests and all the equipment we gave to the US military, in order to help them contain the outbreak, are effective against zombies and humans, but not against the Chosen Ones. Chosen defenses are not really effective against them, I guess."

Nick growled.

"Something even I did not anticipate," Nick admitted. "Samson, open up the files."

Samson obeyed, as he took out a remote and clicked a button. A hologram-like screen appeared, and the three people inside watched:

"This is West Coast Broadcast Network!" said a well-dressed woman, fixing her blond ponytail. "But now, we are the Californian Emergency Broadcast Network, the CEBN. We are now affiliated with the US military, and we report from the epicenter of the epidemic in California!"

"I wonder what they will say," said Nick. "Now that everybody knows about the Chosen Ones and all..."

"Since the epidemic," said the woman in the screen. "All kinds of strange phenomena have occurred. Reports and rumors have it about alleged zombies killing humans, humans turning to monsters, and even what appeared to be superhuman beings. A few days ago, we learn from another news reporter that they are known as the Chosen Ones. We know little about who they are yet, but they appear to be mutants."

"Mutants they are," Nick grunted.

"She got that right," Samson chimed in.

"We also hear rumors," she continued. "About animals that have not only escaped from zoos, but have started to fight against zombies! Strangely, they do not attack the humans, unless they attack them. Some survivors swear that they can even talk! However, we also report about what looked like aliens here as well!"

"The Specters," Nick groaned. "Those zombies do look like aliens."

"And can only be killed by the Chosen," Samson said.

"The US government has continued to contain the outbreak," the reporter continued. "However, the southern California is now officially contained; in fact, we now hear reports that they are starting to evacuate there!"

Nick and the others stared.

"What?" Nick gasped. "How is that possible?"

"Is the Orb..." Samson pondered. "...weakening?"

"But that does not explain for everything," Nick mused, thinking with his fingers on his mouth.

"We hear reports," said the reporter. "That for some reason, most planes and ships that try to escape are destroyed. Only a few somehow can successfully evacuate. Rumors have it that the zombies are somehow behind the cause. As a result, the whole evacuation process is heavily restricted. Indeed, the US government has sent almost all of its aircraft carriers to the West Coast."

"What about the Japanese school ships?" asked Samson. "They arrived, in order to help save their Senshadou clubs."

"The school ships from Japan," said the reporter. "Are now forced to move away."

"Good," said Nick. "We have one fewer thing to worry about."

"But the US government allows them to come back," said the reporter. "Once they refuel and prepare to come back to assist the government with the rescue efforts."

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Plenty of time to get more of the Chosen," Nick said.

"The Chosen Ones are mysterious," said the reporter. "We hear more rumors that some are good, while others are causing chaos. It is hard to tell which ONES are good or evil. Hence, the US government is focusing on notifying the citizens to report on the Chosen Ones, and it will deal with the rest."

"As usual," Nick uttered, rolling his eyes. "The US government LOVES to tell citizens to STOP being heroes, because it WANTS to be THE hero!"

"Some citizens, however," said the reporter. "Question this. Some say that we should assist the Chosen Ones, while others comply. It is not known how many Chosen Ones are with the people, or even with the government."

Nick said nothing, but rolled his eyes.

"And we now hear about a mysterious center," said the reporter. "Somewhere in the San Francisco Bay, we report about a strange purple-like orb that-"

Nick immediately turned off the screen.

"Go there now!" Nick commanded.

"Wait sir!" Samson objected. "We cannot just get in! Do you know about the extent of the Orb yet?"

"You and I know enough about the Orb," Nick growled. "But why object now, Samson?"

"Because," he cleared his throat. "We've heard reports of...strange monsters around that area. Apparently, the Orb is commanding all kinds of animals to protect it."

"Then just fire at it with missiles and rockets!" Nick roared. "Why are you making this-"

"Mr. Nick," a voice echoed from his desk.

Nick pressed a button, and a blurred face came up from a holographic screen.

"What are you doing here," began Nick. "Brother?"

"We've found a major issue," he told Nick. "We've found the Orb, but the Orb's biological defenses are...more than I expected. The US military lent a hand, but we've lost three carriers."

Nick gawked, as Samson looked on, gulping.

"Three?" Nick asked, aghast. "Three US aircraft carriers got destroyed by...some animals?!"

"Two Nimitz and one Ford," the man in the screen sighed. "We also tried to nuke that place, but the US government refused. Apparently, the Orb is in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, specifically in the bay area flanked by three bridges: the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge."

"And?"

"The Orb is sort of floating in the middle of that area," the man continued. "Boats after boats tried to attack it, but some aquatic animals destroyed them. Even carriers were somehow sunk. To make matters worse, planes that flew at it got attacked by some flying monsters..."

Silence.

"The good news is," he said. "The Orb occasionally moves around, coming a little too close to a few islets. Those are the clear weak spots."

"Go ahead," Nick said. "It's your call."

"I am out, brother," the man said. "Peace for PAMC."

"Peace," Nick grunted, as the screen went blank and disappeared.

He then smashed his fists into his desk. This time, the nurse surreptitiously placed a blanket beforehand, thus softening the blow.

"What the *****!" he swore. "Now, the Orb is controlling the animals?!"

"Maybe," Samson said, shrugging."

"But there is too much crazy stuff already!" Nick moaned.

"Yes, the Orb is doing crazy things," Samson shrugged again. "First, turning people into zombies. Then, turning some girls into Chosen Ones. And now, talking animals."

"But that does not explain for her..." Nick said, taking out a picture of a large number of girls. They were all posing in rows, apparently celebrating a victory. In the middle was a little girl on a teddy bear-shaped machine. However, she was not the one of interest; the girl next to her was circled in a huge red marker.

"Miho Nishizumi," Samson said. "A highschool girl from Japan. Scion of the Nishizumi family, famous for Senshadou expertise."

"Completely useless," said Nick, reclining. "In this apocalypse."

"Not so," said Samson. "The Nishizumis have experience with other things, such as martial arts."

"Hmm," Nick responded with a low groan.

"But why is she a special case?" asked Samson. "All Chosen Ones reveal their nature through this tracker. But for some reason, she seems to radiate this same type of energy, despite having no Hand of God with her."

"Did she get it?" asked Nick.

"I have no idea," Samson answered. "All I know is that Chosen Ones tend to radiate out some lights, as if glowing."

"Glowing..." Nick mused.

Suddenly, he paled.

"Samson!" he declared. "Get the technicians!"

"Eh?" Samson responded. "Will do."

* * *

 **Project Aqaba Management Center**

 **Hidden Location**

 **San Diego, CA, USA**

 **2:30 PM; July 10, 20XX**

"Did you find it?" asked Nick, sweating.

"Why are you looking so pale?" the same nurse from before asked, checking him.

"Delilah," Nick groaned. "You will see."

The technicians helped him to find a file from days ago.

"OK," he told them. "Turn it on."

A holographic screen appeared, and showed a video. It was from a security camera, and it showed a number of tanks on a large road, with people fleeing all around. Zombies struck people left and right, while the tanks slowly moved on.

"The Los Angeles Senshadou Parade?" Samson asked.

"Look," Nick pointed. "And Delilah, call my brother."

"OK..." Delilah answered, confused.

The video continued to show the tanks moving, as the girls on top tried to drive carefully through the hordes of people, both human and zombie.

"Good thing this camera," said Nick. "Has some AI; it focuses on her, assuming that she's the leader."

The camera's video zoomed into the first tank, which was leading the others. On top was the same girl whom Nick took an interest in.

"That's Miho," Samson said.

"Brother," a voice called. "What is going on?"

"You're here just in time," said Nick. "Now, my brother, Samson, Delilah, and all of you. Look."

All of them, including the two technicians, looked. Miho was inside her cupola, her upper half exposed as usual. She looked around, then turned around to look at something behind her. Her left hand was open.

"Look closely," Nick hissed. "See why we need her."

They all looked, and stared for a while.

A ribbon of light floated by her, and landed on her left hand.

Suddenly, they all gasped.

A miniature orb suddenly formed on her left hand. She looked back, but the orb disappeared before she noticed it.

"Golden," said one of the technicians.

"Light magenta," the other gasped.

"Blue," Delilah spoke, covering her mouth.

"Red," Samson declared, backing away.

"And white," Nick's brother finished. "Five colors swirling as one orb around her hand. This means..."

"You all know what this means!" Nick declared.

Samson and Delilah both bowed their heads quickly, and ran off. The two technicians finished their work, and handed Nick the recording of the video.

"Here you go," the two said.

"Mark and Luke," Nick cleared his throat. "Remember the payment I promised?"

"Yes?" the two asked.

"I have giving you 10X the original," he declared, ignoring the duo's shock. "Now, go!"

The two bowed down, and ran off, whispering about the money.

"We don't need to get the Orb," Nick gasped. "If that's too difficult!"

"But is that real?" his brother gasped with him. "Nick, is it true that..."

"But it makes no sense," said Nick. " _And_ makes sense at the same time!"

"You told me about a Chosen who can turn others into Chosen," said his brother. "Something only the Orb can do."

"Well," he replied. "I guess that there is more to the Orb than meets the eye..."

"But what's your next plan?" asked the brother. "I am focused on the Orb, just in case."

"We can get her!" said Nick, slamming on his desk. "She's not just touched by the Orb; she's also...no, it sounds crazy, but she could be...an Orb?!"

"Well," his brother said. "If you need help with becoming superhuman and all, we're dreaming this together. And let me know with your progress."

"Thanks," Nick began. "Ni-"

The screen went blank before he could finish. Nick sighed, reclining on his chair. Then, he got up, and watched the outside. Sand Diego was back to normal, except for the larger-than-usual number of military planes and helicopters around. The city's skyscrapers flew hundreds of American flags, and signs of "THANK YOU" and "LET AMERICA LIVE!"

One of them said: "DEATH TO THE CHOSEN!"

"I want them dead," Nick smirked. "But first, we get both the Orb, and her..."

* * *

 **I hope this is not too confusing.**

 **Let me know if this chapter was helpful.**

 **Yes, I hope to have answered most of questions by now:**

 **1) PAMC is the main producer of the special military equipment, such as vests, and the walls and other types of defenses. They used the Chosen Ones' energy to mass-produce them, and to empower them to make them useful against the zombies.**

 **2) Chosen Ones are superhuman beings, arisen since the Orb.**

 **3) Miho appears to have a connection to the Orb, in a way unusual for a Chosen One.**

 **I hope this helps! Let me know, and thank you!**


	19. Chapter 19: Dream Day

**Today, October 23, is her birthday...**

 **That's why this chapter is out so early~**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 19: Dream Day**

"Huh...You're taking it?"

A tall, blond girl who looked like a pretty German student stood in front of a cell phone camera, as her friends and teammates recorded her.

"It's playing," one of them said, stifling her laughter.

"F-fine," the blond girl in the video uttered, blushing a little. "I get it! I'll talk!"

The camera showed that the girls were somewhere in a German-themed school setting, although the camera showed little of it due to its small size.

"Hurry up~," one of them teased her. "Erika."

 _Sh-shut up!_ Erika thought, but pretended to not listen to that.

"U-Um...Miho! Nishizumi Miho!" Erika declared, trying to sound like a professional. She posed, trying to looking intimidating, although her blushes belied her embarrassment.

"Why are you talking like that?" one of the girls behind the camera asked, smirking at her and others.

"Keep quiet!" another girl screamed.

The girl holding the camera winced, but still maintained her hold, so that the camera did not shake as it recorded.

"H-H..." Erika uttered, maintaining her military-like posture, trying to look cool and strong.

 _I am part of Kuromorimine!_ she thought. _I need to look cool, even against my enemy Miho!_

"Happy birthday!" she managed to utter it, blushing redder.

"Wah~" one of the girls behind remarked in awe. "Glory to Kuromorimine!"

"I-I...I won't lose to you next time...!" Erika added.

"What's that got to do with this?" asked the other girl.

Erika Itsumi cleared her throat, glad to be done, unaware that the camera was still rolling.

"OK!" she declared. "Next is..."

She glanced around. One of her friends snickered. The whole Kuromorimine crowd from behind the camera suddenly began to giggle.

"Huh?" she asked. "What about everyone else?"

"Hyahaha!" the girls behind the camera burst into laughter. Erika gawked for a while.

"Aren't you all gonna do it as well?" Erika shouted, blushing very red now. "This ISN'T what I was told! I thought you ALL are gonna do it!"

The girls roared into laughter still, as the girl holding the camera started to send the video.

"Koume!" Erika roared. "W-wait! Don't send this!"

She grabbed for Koume, the very girl who was videoing the whole ordeal. She dodged her around, running in circles as Erika sprinted at her.

"You're still taking it!?" she roared, as Koume kept recording. "N-no! This is NOT Kuromorimine, for crying out loud!"

"One!" Koume called out.

"Two!" the rest of the Kuromorimine girls in the background chimed in.

"Happy birthday~" the girls shouted in unison, while Koume texted the whole "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" successfully and sent it.

The last picture of the video was Koume smiling at her, giving a "V" sign, while the girls in the background cheered, with Erika raising her hands in frustration, her face now as scarlet as a tomato.

Miho watched the cell phone, and cried a single tear of joy. Saori watched her, grinning like a mother to her daughter.

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **5:00 PM; July 10, 20XX**

"Miporin!?"

Miho woke up, blinking her eyes.

"Eh?" she asked, and looked down as Liuyang was tugging her like a cute daughter. She then looked up at Saori, whose face was not smiling, but full of concern.

Miho blinked, then remembered that she came over with Saori and Liuyang, and they were all sitting on a black bench.

"So-sorry," she blushed. "Guess I slept."

"It's not your fault," Saori said, sighing. "Man, the US personnel are taking a while! We rushed here an hour ago, and then we have not heard anything else since!"

"Aren't you a little more optimistic than that?" Miho asked, giggling.

"Ah...yes," Saori sighed. "I am just trying to blow off steam, you know?"

"Blow off a train?" Liuyang asked innocently.

"No-no," Saori said. "Lose stress, sorry."

Miho giggled, as she looked up. The Section 6 was tightly patrolled, since it was a major military HQ section. The walls here were particularly reinforced, and Miho felt a huge surge of energy from them. The soldiers patrolling on top of the walls and the towers were also more heavily armored than the ones she saw before. Furthermore, she witnessed dozens of drones coming in and out of the HQ; some of them were small and fitted with cameras, while others were much larger, carrying small parcels as transport.

"This place," Saori pouted. "Feels more like a castle than a mere safe zone!"

"And the drones are amazing," Miho mused, watching them fly by with a keen eye.

"Are we there yet?" Liuyang asked. She clearly looked bored, tugging at Miho still.

"And why did we have to leave others behind?" asked Saori. "I am bored, too!"

"Hana, Mako, and Yukari all had to stay," Miho said calmly. "In order to protect our stuff. We still do not know how safe the inside is; by the looks from the soldiers and such, I have a feeling..."

She suddenly shivered, sensing something...dark.

She turned around, witnessing a man in the act of pickpocketing. He successfully stole a small, pink purse from the pouch of a woman, who casually walked by without noticing.

Miho turned around, and saluted a soldier.

"Yes?" the man grunted.

"See that man there?" she asked. The man looked, and noticed the man with a very pink purse.

"Stolen?" he asked.

Miho nodded, and the man walked very deliberately towards the thief. The girls watched, as the armored soldier stopped the man, and questioned him about the purse. The thief apparently tried to feign innocence, but the same woman came back, who was frantic to find her missing purse. Miho shook her head, as the man then tried to run away, only to be tackled to the ground by the soldier. As the soldier arrested him, the woman took away her purse, and kicked the thief in retribution.

"People commit crimes still," Miho said. "Even in the apocalypse."

"More so in the apocalypse," Saori corrected her.

Suddenly, a heavy gate next to them opened. The girls all stood up, with Liuyang standing behind Miho. A giant man with a robotic suit marched out, looking down at the girls from his concealed, military mask.

"Michelle and Sarah?" asked the hulking figure.

"Yes?" Miho asked, while Saori shivered in silence.

"I am sorry," he said in a kinder tone. "But today we have major appointments, so we cannot let anyone else in."

Saori sighed in resignation, while Miho maintained her calm composure.

 _I like this girl_ , the giant soldier thought. _If she wasn't so new, she should make for a fine soldier, or even a captain!_

"But," he coughed. "I managed to pull some...strings, and managed to save a spot for you tomorrow."

"Really?" Miho and Saori both asked, with the latter being clearly enthusiastic. Miho maintained her composure still.

 _She really is a leader at heart_ , the soldier remarked. _That's why I pulled the strings..._

Miho blinked.

"Sorry," he coughed. "Well, make sure be back here by 8:00 AM sharp, so be on your way!"

He went back inside, as the girls then packed up and left.

"He was a nice guy," Miho said.

"But scary!" Saori shivered. "Man, those soldiers look like robotic soldiers from some...scary video games I watched on YouTube or something!"

Miho shrugged.

"He's just doing his job," Miho said, glancing behind as he noticed a flash of a camera. She gave a thumbs-up, and the flash disappeared. She then left for her base.

* * *

"Man," the same, towering soldier grunted, checking his cell phone. It held the picture of three girls walking away, with Miho turning around to give him a thumbs-up. Her smile somehow melted his heart.

"This girl," said the soldier, showing the picture to another soldier. "She's a nice one, a natural leader."

"Huh," the other soldier remarked, staring at the picture. "She does. I wish that she was our leader, not...him."

Both growled, but sighed.

"But order are orders," said the soldier with the phone, pocketing it back in. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **5:30 PM; July 10, 20XX**

"There is nothing to do!" Saori complained, as she and others settled down.

"Well then," said Yukari. "We'll just reinforce our tent with spare materials, check everything, and then let's sleep early today!"

"This early?!" Saori gasped. "But we have...ah...AHH..."

The first yawn spread to all others. Six yawns echoed inside the tent.

"Yes," Miho said, giggling. "Let's just sleep."

"Let's prepare and sleep, then!" Saori chimed in, and they all worked to fix their tent.

"But it is quite early," Hana remarked. "But...ah...yes, let us all sleep."

"Must be the fatigue from all that survival stuff," Yukari chimed in, yawning herself.

"Stop yaw...ah!" Mako tried to admonish, but ended up yawning herself. "Man, let's sleep."

She crashed into her loosely prepared bedsheet.

"Mako!" Saori tugged at her. "Be a little tidier, please!"

Miho giggled, as she and others continued to make their beds, using their sleeping bags. Miho personally took two thick blankets, and made them so that they looked like a soft bed, small enough for a little girl like Liuyang. She immediately cuddled inside.

Miho smiled, and continued to make her bed.

"Miho sis?"

She turned to look at her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Can you pray for me?" she asked. "I miss my prayers..."

Miho smiled, and held her hands with her.

"I..." Miho began. "Well, I don't know how you all pray, since we're Japanese here. But here I go."

She breathed.

"American Kami or God?" she asked. "Please help us here, and thank you that we are alive. Keep us safe and sound...Amen."

"Amen..." Liuyang snored into her sleep.

Miho covered her with the blanket, and finished up her own. Saori watched, smiling.

* * *

 **4 hours later...**

Saori moved back and forth in her sleep. She could not sleep.

"Man," she said to herself. "I keep thinking about that dream."

"Your dream?" Hana whispered.

"Oh," Saori noticed. "You're awake?"

"You keep moving," Hana said. "So I woke up."

"Sorry," she giggled.

"Why the fuss?" Yukari groaned.

"And you kicked me," Mako told Saori, tickling her left foot.

"Haha!" Saori squirmed. "Oh, sorry."

"So!" Saori said. "Miporin?"

Miho breathed in and out, clearly asleep. Liuyang also slept next to her, sounding like a cute baby.

"OK!" Saori whispered to her friends. "To be honest, I have a plan for her tomorrow, because I heard her dream..."

* * *

"Happy birthday, Miporin!"

The girls screamed, as they celebrated her birthday.

"Th-thank you all!" she stammered, blushing a little.

Mako tilted her head, falling asleep as she was forced to get up early to help with the preparations. Hana and the others stood by, smiling peacefully. Yukari and others still danced up and down, celebrating their leader's birthday today.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and three people dressed in Boko costumes came in. The smallest of them held out a present.

"Happy birthday, Miho-chan!" the mysterious person declared, adding "da ze" at end of the greeting.

"Boko's here to celebrate!?" Miho said excitedly, acting almost like Yukari did towards tanks. "What amazing service!"

"I still don't understand about the whole Boko deal," Saori said, sweating a little. "But, Miho is Miho."

"Is this the benefit of being a premium member at the Boko museum?" she asked, giddy with joy.

"Does it say who the sender is?" Saori asked, as she and others checked the white label on the present.

The girls all gawked.

"Ah!" many of the responded.

"No way..." Miho said nervously, giggling a little.

The sender's label read: "A present from Maho, Alice, and Shiho-chan."

The three people in Boko costume drove away, with the middle of the trio driving. The three drove in silence.

 _This is awkward_ , Shiho thought. _I hope Miho did not see my name on the present..._

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **6:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

Miho fidgeted, then suddenly got up.

"Wah!" she reacted, as she quickly fixed her blanket.

She then was about to undress, but realized what was going on.

"Oh yeah," she realized. "Why am I reacting like this? I am not in my apartment..."

She then looked around. All other blankets were folded and fixed, so that the center of the tent was empty. On the sides of the tent were the blankets, bags, and other goods all set up and organized like in a real room.

"Where is everybody?" she wondered, as she got back into her uniform, dusting it as she got out.

"Happy birthday!" greeted her en masse.

Miho blinked, as five girls all stood in front of the entrance. Three boxes in front of the five were "wrapped" in present ribbons, but Miho noticed that they were just decorations.

"Eh?" she responded, surprised. "Wait, what's-"

"Sorry about the super-early birthday deal," said Saori, blushing. "But...I heard you dream."

Miho blinked, then gasped.

"Did I talk in my sleep again?" she asked.

The girls all nodded.

"I heard your first dream," she fidgeted. "Suddenly, I realize that you were talking about that time when Koume sent Erika's birthday message to you. That felt like a while ago. Then, as I described it to others about what I heard, you began to mumble another dream. We then realized that you were talking about the time when Alice, Maho, and Shiho-senpai all came to your party, dressed in Boko costumes. After hearing that, we decided to host an early birthday party, since..."

Saori fidgeted.

"As a reward for keeping us alive through this time," Hana finished, smiling.

Miho wept, her tears falling down for joy.

"Th-thank you so much," Miho gasped, as Liuyang came over and hugged her on the legs.

"And thanks for the prayer," Liuyang said. "I slept well."

"It's not much," Yukari said, clearing her throat and saluting. "But as soon as I was awake, I tried to find what materials to make, because Saori told me to find them. Then, Hana and Saori both helped to make what we can."

She pushed over one of the boxes.

"The other two are empty," she blushed. "For decoration. Only this one has it."

Miho opened it, and gasped as she took it out and hugged it tightly. She squealed.

"Somebody was throwing away a bunch of toys," Yukari said. "And I managed to convince the lady to let me have a teddy bear. Then, I went around to find some...useless bandages, the clean kind. A local nurse said that she had the wrong types of bandages, and let me have them for free."

"And so," Saori said. "Here is your Boko doll, our way!"

"Th-thank you!" Miho cried, hugging it. She then looked at it.

The teddy bear was lighter than the one she had, and had green eyes instead of the usual black. Blue bandages were plastered all over it, in order to make it look like an actual Boko doll.

"It was really Mako who came up with the idea of bandages," said Saori, looking at her and pouting.

Mako was forced to wake up early, so she was drowsing, leaning dangerously close to falling down.

"But she cares for you," Saori said, smiling. Mako tried to smile, but was clearly sleepy.

"Thanks," Miho finally wiped her tears away, patting Liuyang. "But..."

Miho handed the doll to Liuyang, who was surprised.

"Eh?" she asked.

"Hold this, please," Miho said, going back inside the tent. A few seconds passed, as the girls waited.

"What is she doing?" Yukari asked. The others shrugged.

Miho came out, and the girls gasped.

She brought out her other Boko doll, which was darker than her present. She somehow dressed it in a white tutu of sort, and put a black wig on top. She then took the teddy bear, and put on its own dress.

"Wait a minute!" Saori began. "How did you-"

"Pink dress with blond hair?" Liuyang asked. "Wait a minute!"

Miho nodded.

"You can keep these," Miho said. "You need them more than I do."

Her friends stared, and mildly gawked.

"Th-thank you!" Liuyang said, hugging them both. "But why?"

"I used to think that I need them all the time," Miho said. "But...I think you need them more than I do."

"Th-thank you!" she answered, crying as she hugged Miho with both of her dolls. "I-I wanted to have a doll, but I was afraid to ask..."

"Hey," Miho said, patting her. "You keep both. Think of them sort of like lucky charms. If you find your friend, you can give her one of them for the both of you."

"This is the best day of my life!" Liuyang cried. "Especially since-since...I dunno!"

She kept crying into Miho's chest, as Miho hugged her.

"Bittersweet, huh?" Saori remarked.

"Yeah," Mako and Yukari both replied, wiping their tears.

"What a beautiful world," Hana mused. "Even in apocalypse, there is always a flower blooming..."

"And Miporin," said Saori. "Where did you find the tools to make the dress and all?"

"I had them in..." Miho giggled, wiping her tears still. "In my zombie survival bag, just in case if I needed something fun to do. Well, I am glad to bring a few of my tailoring items, so that I can make a few dresses."

"You're so sweet," said Saori, as Miho and Liuyang both continued to hug each other. "Guess this is a great birthday after all..."

However, unknown to the girls, a strange glow radiated from between Miho's chest and the two dolls. It glowed a golden color, with swirls of light magenta, red, white, and blue around it like neutrons circling around a nucleus. The glow split into two, and went inside of the dolls, causing them to glow a little. However, due to the intense morning sun, no one noticed it, although Miho did feel some...energy come out of her.

 _Huh?_ she thought, but chose to keep it to herself. I will think about that later, I hope.

"Well," Miho said. "Let's prepare for the day!"

The girls commenced their morning routine, and fixed their tent's interior further.

"Say," Saori said. "It looks like three of us have to stay here, and three of us will go."

"I will go!" Yukari declared.

"No-no," Miho said. "If you do, you'll stand out too much."

Yukari pouted.

"I will go this time," Mako said, and the others looked at her, surprised.

"Well, what can I do?" she asked rhetorically. "I was bored here, so why not?"

"Then it's settled," Miho said, with Liuyang holding her right hand. "Liuyang and I will go, and Mako will follow. Girls, be careful."

"See ya!" Yukari, Hana, and Saori waved them, as the trio walked towards their appointed gate at the Section 6.

"Wonder what will happen next?" asked Mako, as she looked at Miho.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking at her.

"Happy birthday," Mako said, smiling.

Miho smiled.

"Thank you."

* * *

 **OK! Birthday special chapter is done!**

 **However, this also counts as a real chapter, because it has some important scenes.**

 **In the meantime, thank you for all your likes and follows!**

 **Note: The two dreams that Miho have are actually canon; they're from two 4-koma comic strips that I based on. Unfortunately, both are not out yet or so to my knowledge; they're online so far.**

 **And happy birthday, Nishizumi Miho!**

 **:)**


	20. Chapter 20: The Unmasking

**For some of you, you may notice this:**

 **Chapter 10 was a milestone in this story. There, I separated the girls apart by team. I also intended to create spin-offs, but due to time constraints, I decide that this story is top priority.**

 **Hence, Chapter 20 will be another milestone in the story. You will see.**

 **Panzer vor!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 20: The Unmasking**

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Wow," the same soldier from yesterday remarked, whistling. "You girls are punctual."

Miho, Mako, and Liuyang all came forward, flashing their name tags.

"Michelle," said the soldier, grunting. "Mona and Liuyang. Welcome to Section 6."

He eyed the sleepy girl, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you sleepy at this time?" he asked. "And you're new here."

"I hate mornings," she groaned.

" _Every_ day has a morning," he replied, rolling his eyes. "So, stop _mourning_ for crying out loud.

Mako rolled her own eyes, annoyed at the soldier's poetic remark.

"So," he cleared his throat. "I forgot to tell you all. I am Private First Class. Private David King."

"King?" Miho asked.

"King is also a last name," he smiled. "Rare, but it makes me feel good."

Miho giggled, and David smiled at that.

 _She has such a beautiful smile_ , he thought. _Man, I really wish that she was one of our leaders in charge._

"Also the last name of Martin Luther King Jr.," Mako added.

"Clever girl," David replied, smiling. "So, get in."

He motioned, and the gates opened. The girls all went in, and stared.

Section 6 was clearly a military HQ area, but it was more than that. Even Mako gawked, as she and others felt as if they went a few years into the future...

Drones after drones flew around. Some were security camera drones, using their eyes to survey the surroundings. Some were actually carrying items, such as boxes and parcels. One was actually carrying a set of pizza boxes!

Miho and Mako both gawked at the futuristic feel of the Section 6, while Liuyang just looked around, as confused as a young kid would be.

"Welcome to Section 6," David remarked, as the gates started to close behind them. "And yes, this feels like a futuristic world."

"Drones," Mako drooled. "Maybe I can buy one to do my chores..."

Miho giggled, imagining what would happen if Saori was there to listen to Mako's wishes.

"So, girls," David said. "What do you think about this place?"

Miho looked around. Besides the drones, there were heavily reinforced warehouses, framed so that they looked more like disaster-safe safe houses, rather than as mere warehouses. Tanks and vehicles of all shapes and sizes zoomed back and forth, so Miho felt a little confused by the seeming chaos.

"Quite futuristic," Mako answered. "Very futuristic. The US government is amazing."

Miho nodded in agreement.

"OK!" David said. "Let's go!"

He led the girls, as they followed him from behind. Miho blinked again and again.

"You feeling something again?" Mako asked, her sharp eyes noticing Miho's behavior. "Same as before?"

Miho nodded.

"Soldiers here," she whispered to Mako. "Also wear some sort of vests, which look quite strong and...I feel something from them."

"An energy type?" asked Mako. "That only a Chosen like you can feel?"

"I...I guess so," Miho gasped, shocked at Mako's answer.

"Wait a minute," Mako began. "Does that mean-"

"So, girls," David said, oblivious to their talk. "Welcome to Section 6-wait, did I say that already? Man, sorry about that."

Miho and Mako both stopped their talk, and decided to wait until the coast was clear. They decided to just follow David around, with Liuyang by Miho's side.

"This is an American base," David explained. "I suppose you know how such a base looks like. But here is more advanced."

"I think he's repeating himself," Mako whispered. "As if embarrassed or something."

Miho shrugged, then gasped as three Reaper drones flew over David's head. Both girls shivered at them, remembering them from before...

"Guess you don't like the idea of military drones," he remarked, not knowing that the girls had a nasty encounter with them before.

"Are you..." Miho began to ask, wondering whether the US government is in alliance with the PAMC, but felt that it was not the right time to ask.

"Are you certain that the tank we're looking is here?" she finally asked.

"Yes," he replied. "But for security reasons, you can only look at it from a distance."

"Why?" Mako asked, but David shook in response.

Miho, however, felt that she knew...because she felt something again.

She shivered.

"To be honest," Mako whispered to her. "Those buildings, drones, and everything around us...They look a little too sleek and advanced; they apparently used some weird type of steel, which I do not recognize."

"You can tell?" Miho asked, suddenly sensing more of that...same strange energy emitting from the warehouses and the drones.

"Everywhere," Mako remarked. "These buildings, those vehicles, and even the military armor sets...they're a little...too _advanced_ even by the US military standards."

"And?" Miho asked, patient with her.

"Even the US government would be cautious about this," Mako explained. "Normally, the US government hides its most classified technologies from almost everyone, even from its own citizens. However, allowing US to explore around..."

Mako did not finish her sentence, because Miho nodded, fully understanding what was going on.

Miho then mused:

 _She's right. These technologies are quite advanced. To make matters worse, this whole area...reeks of that same feeling...The buildings, the vehicles, and even the military gadgets and uniforms...they all reek of something so familiar..._

Miho shook herself out of it, in order to focus on following David.

"We'll discuss later," Miho said. "Let's follow David."

Mako nodded, as Liuyang just followed along innocently.

* * *

"Here we are," David said.

It felt like 10 minutes of non-stop walking, but the girls managed to find their way to the site of the ruined tank. David, Miho, Mako, and Liuyang all stared at a line of soldiers, clad in some kind of a robotic suit, rendering the soldiers more robot than human.

David then walked forward, and tipped his hat. One of the heavily clad soldiers gave him a seemingly empty stare, which was hidden by his military goggles. The soldier grunted, then let them pass through.

The girls found themselves in front of another line of soldiers.

"This is as far as you all can go," David said. "From here, you can at least peek at the tank, or more likely a tank destroyer."

The girls stared at it. Miho then gasped.

It was indeed a Hetzer. Despite being smashed in multiple places, its appearance was unmistakable.

"Gun is intact," Mako remarked. "But the entire base is crushed."

Then, both girls gasped.

"Don't worry," David said. "We found no one inside."

Both girls then sighed in relief.

"But did you find anyone here?" asked Miho.

"Nope," David said. "My friend there is one of the first to find this."

He motioned them, then they went away from the site of the ruined Hetzer.

"Hey, Dave!" he called out from a nearby bench.

Another soldier, identical to David in appearance, came over.

"Yeah?" asked Dave.

"Girls," David told them. "This is Dave Burns. Burns, these are Michelle, Mona, and Liuyang."

"Hello there," Dave said, eyeing Miho in particular. "Hmm...David, you're right about her."

Miho blushed, sensing what he was talking about.

"She's definitely cute, right?" asked David, smiling.

"Yes," Dave replied. "And a natural leader by heart."

"Th-thank you," Miho replied, blushing.

"So yeah," Dave said. "You want me to explain about the Hetzer, right?"

"Right," the girls nodded.

"Well," Dave explained, coughing. "The team I was in found this Hetzer while on patrol. Apparently, something big had smashed it. We searched inside for any living person, but we found it empty."

Miho blinked.

"To be honest," whispered Dave, leaning close to her. Miho stared at her, sensing that there was more to the story.

"Some patrol was already there," he whispered. "I thought I saw three girls being dragged away."

Mako and Miho both hid their reactions, although their faces paled a little.

"I dunno who they were," Dave whispered. "But they told me to check the Hetzer for any survivors. Then, finding it negative, the same patrol then told me that it was found empty."

"Why tell me this?" Miho asked, now surprised at his behavior.

"I honestly think you'll make for a good leader," Dave admitted. "I like you more than North."

"General North, right?" she asked.

"You can't trust a stranger this fast," Mako retorted. "I mean, you just met us."

"Once you live long enough," said Dave, giving them an interesting stare. "You can tell who to trust."

Mako blinked.

"Still," she began. "Why would-"

"Private Burns!" a voice boomed.

"Better get going," Dave replied curtly, and went off.

"OK," David said, shrugging. "So yeah, you girls good with the Hetzer? I remember you all wanted to look at it."

"Yes," Miho said. "We'll just look at it from here."

David nodded, as Miho and Mako both looked at it from a distance. Liuyang, not knowing the significance of the Hetzer, just lazed around, moaning in boredom.

The Hetzer was still the same tank destroyer from before: yellowish-brown with a faded Oarai emblem in front, and the faint logo of a turtle with a green shell on the left side. The swirl, normally below the turtle, was scraped off; Miho deduced that something with strong claws had ripped away at that part.

"And why is this guarded heavily?" asked Mako. "It's damaged beyond repair, you know?"

"That's a great question," David said. "Like Dave, I am not supposed to tell you everything."

"What is that, anyway?" Liuyang asked, bored out of her wits. "And what's with tanks?"

"It's a Hetzer," Miho explained, smiling. "A small tank destroyer with great firepower."

Liuyang stared, eyes wide open with amazement.

"Really?" she asked, now curious. "Something that small can actually fire strong?"

Miho nodded, and Liuyang stared at her, amazement all over her face.

"It's an old tank," David remarked, and Liuyang glared at him, pouting just like Saori.

"What?" he asked. "That's why I am wondering why we're guarding this."

Suddenly, Miho realized; she sensed a HUGE spike of energy from inside the tank from before.

Miho then suddenly connected the thoughts, and realized it.

 _So, that's it, then?_ Miho thought, sweating. _I believe that my friends are...Chosen!? Then, all these energy feels from around..._

She shivered very hard.

"You OK?" Mako asked, concern etched over her face.

Miho turned to face her, then at David. David was busy talking to another soldier. Miho looked back at Mako.

"Mako," Miho whispered. "I can explain. Long story short, I can sense the Chosen."

Mako blinked, then connected the dots fast.

"Wait a minute," Mako said, then gasped. "The Chosen Ones emit energy of some sort?"

Miho nodded.

"And everything around here..." Mako trailed off, shivering.

"I don't know yet," began Miho. "But I-"

BOOM!

A huge noise echoed around them. Soldiers all around them went on high alert, and rushed to their positions. Liuyang instinctively grabbed Miho's right side. Miho and Mako, however, both sighed in disbelief.

"Once again," Mako groaned. "Calm before the storm. How many storms have we gone through?"

"We are under attack!" roared the military PA system, as Miho suddenly noticed the many loudspeakers. She was so focused on finding the Hetzer, that she did not notice the PA system.

Miho looked all around, her senses on high alert. She noticed the PA system, full of horns and all kinds of equipment. She also noticed hundreds of drones suddenly flying out.

 _I suspect_ , she thought. _Some of those drones appear to be..._

Some of the drones then flew towards a huge hole in a wall. Miho immediately calculated the damage and the wall.

 _Wall is at least 6 m (20 ft) wide_ , she thought. _I see steel, concrete, and...diamonds?!_

"Diamonds!" Miho suddenly gasped.

"Diamonds?" Mako asked, blinking at her.

"The walls are reinforced with some diamonds!" Miho gasped.

"Diamonds...wait, you're saying!" Mako gasped in response, realizing the ramification of the shocking revelation.

"They must have used the Chosen somehow," Miho said. "In order to create the walls..."

"Did they..." Mako shuddered greatly.

"I see no Chosen Ones inside," Miho breathed. She realized that she was panting rapidly.

"But what does all this mean?" Mako gasped.

Miho immediately tried to see if she could adjust her eyes. As suspected, her eyes zoomed into details that even she did not notice at first. What she saw made her heart drop.

"The US government did not make those," Miho said. "I see...the ankh sign."

Mako gawked.

"Blue, red, and white," Miho continued, sweating heavily. "They're etched unto the wall, especially inside of the cracks caused by the blast."

The two girls looked at each other, then nodded.

"Liuyang and Mako!" Miho told them. "Go back to our team!"

"What about you?!" Liuyang gasped, as Mako tore her away from Miho.

"I may have to try it," Miho said.

"Good...good luck," Mako gasped, and led Liuyang by the arm, avoiding the crowds of soldiers as they ran.

Miho looked around, and sighed.

"Out of the way!" a soldier rudely tried to tackle her, only to find himself ramming into thin air.

"Eh?" he said, before slamming into a steel pole, knocking himself unconscious.

Miho jumped out of the way, hiding behind an intermodal container being used as a makeshift wall. Miho watched, as soldiers after soldiers mustered up their forces. Some of them wielded carbines and other typical guns; others, however, were wielding some strange weapons...

...which also radiated out that Chosen energy.

She shivered.

"I have a feeling," Miho said to herself, as golden lights started to float around her. "That I have to be ready..."

She then stared up at the damage. The gaping hole in the wall was on the left side of the Section 6; hence, reaction to the damage was almost instantaneous.

"Yes," she noted. "It's about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and the wall is at least 30 m (100 ft) tall. A damage only a Chosen One can do."

She then breathed, then cried.

* * *

"What?" she gasped, wiping away her tears. "Why am I crying?"

She wiped away her tears, and breathed in...

...and out.

She breathed in...

...and out.

"OK," she calmed down. "What just happened?"

She remembered something from long ago...

* * *

 _"Miho," Shiho told her._

 _"O-okaasan!?" she gasped. "I-I did not intend to-to cry!"_

 _"Miho," Shiho told her._

 _She winced, expecting a spanking._

 _Shiho knelt down, staring at her. Her eyes, however, felt a little...soft._

 _"Miho," she said, her voice an echo. "Crying is not weak, but crying won't do."_

 _"O-okaasan!" she gasped._

 _"It's not whether you cry that matters," she echoed. "It's what you do with crying,_ that _matters..."_

* * *

Miho shook herself.

"Did-did I sleep?" she asked. "What was that dream, then? Wait a minute..."

Miho looked up, as she saw volleys of fire upon something up in the hole. On top of the hole in the wall, five figures stood, still as stone. For some reason, none of the missiles made a hit, deflected like shells against the Maus tank's armor.

She shook herself, then looked up.

"Can I..." she breathed hard. "But I don't...I don't want to..."

 _"It's not whether you cry that matters," she echoed. "It's what you do with crying,_ that _matters..."_

"Oka...Shiho," Miho said. "I don't remember what happened at that time, but that does not matter. What matters is..."

Looking up again, she made her resolve.

"If I can, I spare them," she said to herself. "If not, let my God or gods be my witnesses. I will bear the responsibility."

 _"It's not whether you cry that matters," she echoed. "It's what you do with crying,_ that _matters..."_

"OK," she breathed. "It's not whether I cry or fight that matters. It's what I do with crying or fighting, then...I don't know what I am saying, but I think I know what I need to do..."

She looked up again, as one of the figures raised something like a gun.

"Incoming!" the PA system roared, as a huge ray of blood-red light slammed down. Miho gawked, as a huge fissure appeared in the ground below.

"Nobody got hurt!" the PA system roared again. "But! We need back-up ASAP! Those Chosen Ones are super-strong!"

Miho sighed, remembering something too...

" _With great power...comes great responsibility_ ," a voice echoed inside of her.

Miho sighed, then decided it.

"I am going," she told herself, rising up as the soldiers started to fire at someone on top of the hole. "Somebody almost died; I am not letting that happen again because of that."

Miho rose up, as more volleys of bullets and shells blasted into the five mysterious figures. Miho stared at them, using her eyes to zoom in, and she gasped.

They were all five girls, about her age. Thousands of bullets and shells stormed into the five girls, but none of them hit them. A trio of airplanes flew by, sending down their missiles. A volley of eight struck the girls, but none of them did. Miho noticed that there was some sort of a reddish force field, protecting the five.

"Sir!" she heard a local private talk to his superior. "They are Chosen!"

"Then shoot them with special bullets!" he told the soldier.

"Special?" Miho asked, then sneaked upon a strange case of ammo. She felt the same energy as clear as day.

She then looked up, as the five invaders stood as silent as stone. Miho looked at them more closely...

Each of the five wielded an unusual weapon. One carried a colossal machete on its right shoulder, as if it was a giant battleaxe. Another carried what looked like a giant Gatling gun, but with what looked like...weird chains that looked quite flat. Yet another wielded a giant crossbow, which looked more like a ballista due to its size.

Miho stared more closely, and realized that one of the five was using its shield, which had a cannon attached.

"Oh," she noted. "So, that person is the one deflecting the gunfire. That person is holding a cannon, with a shield on top? Wait, that IS a shield, but with a cannon beneath!"

However, the leader of them apparently directed the other four. The leader raised its hand, as if signaling.

"Get ready!" a commander boomed from not far away. "The Chosen Ones are super-strong! Give everything you've got, comrades! God bless America! Long live America!"

The leader of the five slowly its weapon...

Miho shivered, as it was a serrated katana. The cutting blade was sharp, with runic markings on the flat parts. The back, however, was serrated and even moved like her own chainsaw.

"Wait a second!" Miho gasped. "Could it be...no way!"

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Where is she?!" Yukari screamed, running INTO the crowd, trying to get to the site of the blast.

"Yukarin!" Saori roared. "Don't run away on your own!"

Hana held up Liuyang in her arms, as she and Mako chased Saori, who was chasing Yukari. All of them ended up running towards a huge hole in the wall.

"Impossible!" a rich man moaned, dusting off his vaguely dirty uniform. "Those walls are impervious to attack! I even paid them to do so!"

Hana just rolled her eyes.

"Mako," she said. "Hold her."

"Eh?"

 _Ping!_

"Uf!" the rich man moaned, as something struck him between...yeah, his legs. Between his legs.

The man collapsed unto the ground, as his servants rushed in to escort him away. Hana breathed deeply, pocketing in her pellet gun.

"How did you do that?" Mako gasped.

"That man got on my nerves," Hana said. "You may not know it, but I know that man. Mr. Gabe Rockington is nicknamed 'Greedy Rockington' with good reasons."

"At least you got your revenge or something," Mako said. "Let's go and-"

BOOM!"

A huge pillar of dark red light slammed unto the ground.

"Wow!" Yukari gasped, as she was mere inches away from the pillar, which created a sizable fissure in the ground.

"Yukarin!" Saori went up to her, as the last three joined in.

"I am OK!" Yukari sighed. "But them!"

They all looked up.

"Saori sis," Liuyang said, huddling up to her. "What's going on?"

"Everything..." Saori trailed, trying to lie to her, but having no will to do. "I...We will stick together."

"Are they Chosen?!" Yukari gasped.

"They are," Mako shivered, cuddling up to Saori.

"Mako!" Saori said. "I am not your mommy!"

"You are," she flatly stated, causing her friend to pout.

"Attention!" the PA system suddenly blared all around. "This is an emergency! Please go to the nearest safe zones inside this zone!"

"Oh," Mako flatly said. "So, the Section 6 has its own PA emergency system, and now other places have their own? Man, they did not really fix up that well."

"Who are those five?" asked Saori, glancing up at the people on top of the hole.

"Dunno," said Mako. "We better get out before-"

A huge ball of dark red energy formed, which grew to the size of the hole. Suddenly, it shot out, and it flew into the crowd below.

"No!" the girls screamed.

Suddenly, the ball dissipated into a cloud of harmless red sparks. A golden slash tore through it, causing it to vaporize.

"No way," Hana gasped, as she and others stared in awe and shock.

"Attention!" the PA system blared again. "We have a new enemy in the block, who has come to...wait, that girl is challenging the five?!"

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:15 AM; July 11, 20XX**

The whole crowd stood, stunned as another Chosen One appeared.

"Another Chosen has appeared!" the PA system roared. "Everyone, please stay calm!"

Unfortunately, the PA blared a panicky voice, so the crowd was whispering and roaring at the same time.

"Is she out to cause us trouble?"

"Who is she?"

"Wait, is she from here?"

"What's going on?!"

Miho stood still, letting the crowd gradually calm down. Sure enough, as if her presence had a calming effect, the whole people around her quieted down. Many of them stood still, watching her with various emotions still.

"Is she a good person?"

"I dunno!"

"But she sure looks nice!"

"But a girls that small?!"

"Mama!" a child called out to his mother. "Is she a hero?"

"I-I don't know," she answered. "But maybe she can..."

Before then, Miho stepped out of her hiding, then summoned her sword.

Now, she was walking towards the five, next to the fissure. Unknown to her, the fissure started to come together, as if it was a wound that was healing. Miho walked calmly and deliberately, the blade in her right hand. In her mouth, she held the string that revved up the engine. She released her lips, and the engine on her hilt roared into life; the saw whirled and buzzed, as sparks of golden and light magenta energy flew around.

The people stirred, when they saw her activate her blade.

"Shoot!" one of the commanders called out.

"No!" another one roared. "Hold your fire!"

Miho calmly walked towards the five, as the crowd stood back. Some of them screamed, and fled. Others, however, stood far away, but watched in awe. Some even took photos.

Even the soldiers stepped away, and three of them even saluted her.

She looked at them, and saluted back.

"Good luck," one of them said.

"I second that," said a familiar voice. Blinking, she turned around to look on her right. David King stood by, gun in hand.

"Thank you," Miho said and saluted him. He saluted back, and backed away as Miho looked up at the five Chosen Ones. She raised her chainsaw up to them.

"Whoever you are," she called at the top of her voice. However, she blushed, as she sounded a little soft and...cute.

She heard a few giggles.

"Man," she heard David remark. "You sure sound cute."

"Th-thank you," Miho replied, unsure of herself. "I-I am trying to act cool."

"You mean, cute," he replied.

Miho suddenly laughed. She grabbed her stomach, laughing very hard. The whole crowd around her looked at her, stunned.

"Man," she admitted, wiping her tears as she maintained her posture. "You are good, David."

"Thank you," he replied, saluting. "Now, I will let you do your thing."

She nodded, saluting him. She then turned to look up at her adversaries, raising her sword again. She put up her most serious face, as the five looked down at her.

Miho noticed that all of them wore strange sunglasses of sort, but sharp and with red frames.

"I would," she said, louder. "I...I challenge the leader of you!"

Although small, her voice was audible enough for even the leader to hear. Nodding silently, the leader jumped down, creating a small crater where she landed. All around, the people screamed in terror, as the shockwave knocked many down. The leader slowly rose, as the soldiers started to aim at her.

The leader said nothing, but walked up to Miho. Miho kept her sword straight and out, pointing it at her nemesis.

The leader then took out her own katana, which sparked with its own lights, but bloody-red and black. However, Miho noticed a few golden sparks out of the katana.

The two stared at each other. Tense seconds passed, then turned into one whole minute, as the two blades stared at each other.

Then...

Slash! Whip! Scratch! Crash!

The two went in. Chainsaw and katana crashed into each other, as the girls went all-out in their duel. Miho deliberately shrank her chainsaw (about 80 cm long), in order to increase her speed and flexibility. Sure enough, she easily parried blow after blow of the katana.

"Get out of the way!" one soldier roared, as the blades started to slash at the buildings. People ducked and backed away, as the blades did their work in cutting down pillars and walls like mere paper. The two girls continued their fight, as the people around them watched.

Strangely, Miho noticed that her rival kept increasing the size of her sword, in an effort to defeat Miho with a stronger attack. However, blow after blow, Miho easily dodged or parried, and her enemy tried to increase the size of her katana. Bigger and bigger it grew, but it also got harder and harder to wield. Miho noticed that her enemy was somewhat panting.

 _Her katana is now over 400 cm long!_ Miho thought, as she parried another blow. _But she's not trying to dodge me! I am the one to do that! She's focusing on strength, not on speed! Which means..._

Miho tripped, and her chainsaw got stuck inside the closing fissure.

"Ah!" she cried, getting up and trying to take off her sword, which was stuck inside.

Grinning maliciously, the leader slowly walked up to her, raising her katana. It grew to over 480 cm long, and it was shiny and sharp. It was now blazing, as if on fire, but blazing red and black. The golden sparks were gone.

Miho turned around, and smiled.

"You fell for it," Miho said, and tore out her chainsaw, which instantly grew to be over 360 cm long, and the colossal saw struck the katana, which fell down unto the ground.

Miho panted, her chainsaw pointed at the rival.

"What?" Saori blinked. "What happened?"

"Ah," Mako said, whistling in amazement. "Apparently, Miho tricked her enemy into thinking that she won. Unknown to her enemy, Miho struck the saw into the crack, in order to cause the enemy to let her guard down. Once she did, she immediately decides to swing it, causing it to increase in size, so that it is strong enough to knock the other enemy's weapon down."

"A risky but clever move," Yukari whistled. "That's Nishizumi for you!"

The girls and other people watched, as Miho panted, her sword raised. Applause rang out from the crowd.

"I win," she gasped. "Now, who-who...who are you?"

The girl smiled, but not maliciously. Miho noticed a single tear falling down on the right cheek. Suddenly, she noticed that the leader and the other four, who were approaching them, were wearing some kind of red headphones.

 _How odd_ , she thought. _Why are they wearing headphones that big and red? Wait a minute, the headphones are not on their ears, but on their necks?_

"Mi-Miho," a familiar voice rang in her ears.

Miho blinked, and gawked.

"Can it be..." Miho gasped, as her eyes saw the whole enemy in full view.

"Help..." she moaned. "Help us."

She had short, dark brown hair.

She also wore...a familiar cap on top of her head, but it was jagged and colored red and black.

The uniform she wore was very sinister-looking, but it was familiarly gray and brown, just like from her old school.

Old school...

"Wait a minute!" Miho screamed. "Could it be!"

She dropped her sword, which still buzzed and whirled with energy. It fell on top of the fallen katana. However, instead of scratching at each other, the blades seemed to touch each other, as if hugging.

Miho limped towards her rival, tears flowing down in streams from both of her eyes.

"I see you again," the same familiar voice spoke, as she shook. Miho noticed that the girl was struggling to take off her mask, as if...

"Are you..." Miho gasped.

"I am so glad..." the mysterious girl said, a single tear falling down again. "I see you...At last. Miho, help...us."

The mask fell off, and Miho saw her eyes.

"Free," she said. "Us."

She looked just like her.

"Onee-chan," Miho said. "I missed you."

* * *

 **Well well..**

 **Enough said. Please review, especially whether on how I executed this chapter. Every review and critique is appreciated.**

 **Inceptor57, do you notice Miho's crying scene? That's a reference to something you know...**

 **Tune in to the next chapter! I dare you.**


	21. Chapter 21: The Dog and the Wolf

**So, for anyone itching for the next chapter...**

 **Note: Please review, like, follow etc.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 21: The Dog and the Wolf**

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:45 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Onee-chan," Miho said in a low whisper.

Maho Nishizumi shook, apparently trying to keep control. Her hands shook, partially trying to raise her katana, partially trying to restrain herself.

"Mi-Miho," Maho gasped, as the red headphone on her neck glowed even redder. Miho noticed some red lights flashing from them.

"Onee-chan," Miho said, tears falling down. "I am glad you're safe."

Miho kept her distance. She wanted to hug her, but could tell that that would call for a potential death sentence. Whatever it was, someone or something was trying to control her sister, and her whole team.

All five groaned and shook, as they tried to maintain control.

"Mi-Miho," Koume called out, trying to restrain herself. Her right hand was trying to lift up the crossbow, while the left hand was keeping it down.

"C-can't believe," Erika hissed, holding a giant machete with her hand on her right shoulder, while holding her forehead with her left. "That we've-we've..."

She roared, shaking herself.

"I have only a few seconds," Maho gasped. "I cannot hold it for much longer!"

"Onee-chan," Miho said, nodding and crying at the same time. "You know what to do."

Maho gasped, and nodded.

"Kuromorimine!" Maho roared. "Retreat!"

The girls obeyed without question, and jumped away.

"Ow!" Maho gasped, as something was trying to take control.

"Onee-chan?" Miho started to approach.

Maho raised her free left hand, motioning her to NOT come close.

"She's..." Maho gasped. "She's trying to see who has defeated me! Don't look at me!"

Miho held her ground, her chainsaw whirling and buzzing.

The soldiers around aimed at Maho.

"Hold your fire!" a commander roared.

Then, Maho suddenly threw Miho something.

"A blond wig?" Miho asked. "And a set of blue contact lenses..."

Maho struggled with something, which seemed to try and control her mind. Miho wasted no time, and wore everything. When her friends looked at her, they gasped.

"Wow," Yukari whistled. "She knows how to disguise well."

Miho's wig and contact lenses rendered her very different in appearance. Instead of a girl with light brown hair and eyes, Miho appeared blond with blue eyes.

Then, Maho looked up, and Miho gasped.

Her normally brown eyes were blood-red.

"Rette mich," Maho said.

Miho blinked, then gasped, remembering something back in childhood...

* * *

 _"Miho!" Maho said, when she and Miho were little kids._

 _"Yeah?" Miho asked innocently, playing with a frog she found._

 _"Ja!" Maho replied._

 _"Ja?" Miho asked._

 _Maho laughed._

 _"I mean 'yes,' in German," Maho said._

 _"Oh!" Miho groaned. "We may be destined for Kuromorimine, but German is something I am not sure about..."_

 _"Come on, Miho!" Maho tugged at her. "You may not be a fan of German. What can I do to convince you?"_

 _"Hmm..." Miho thought. "How about this? Let's make that our 'secret tongue.' We communicate in German, so that Okaasan won't notice what we're talking about."_

 _"Great idea!" Maho declared, giving her sister a high-five, which Miho reciprocated. Both then laughed._

 _"Man," Maho said. "What will happen with poor mother? She won't understand a thing!"_

 _"She admits to not learning German," Miho mused. "Well then, let's learn it, so that we can talk to each other!"_

 _"That way," Maho said. "Nobody can read our minds!"_

* * *

"Nobody can read our minds..." Miho said dreamily.

Suddenly, she felt something sinister about to slice her.

"Oops!" Miho gasped, and pushed back. The two swords still parried each other.

"Rette mich," Maho said.

Miho suddenly realized, then tried to remember what little German she learned.

 _Save me_ , Miho translated inside of her head, but had to stop in order to parry another blow.

Katana struck the chainsaw, as the two blades screamed at each other, trying to gain the upper hand. Miho stared at Maho's face. Despite her reddened eyes, Miho could still sense her sister in there...

"Jemand kontrolliert mich!" Maho roared, as she pressed her blade against Miho.

 _Someone controls me!_ Miho translated inside of her head.

The two then jumped back, raising their weapons. Then, they charged at each other.

"Was ist los?" Miho asked in German.

 _'What is going on?' is what I want to say_ , Miho thought.

"Miho, ich spreche auf Deutsch, wenn sie hier ist," Maho uttered, her eyes still blazing red.

 _Miho, I talk in German when she is here_ , Miho translated her sentence. _Hmm, It's obvious that we're speaking German, in order to hide something..._

"Jetzt sofort, sie versucht zuzuhören, wer ist wer," Maho growled, as she started to slash and cleave at Miho more viciously. Miho parried every blow.

"What is she saying?!" Saori asked.

"She's speaking German," Mako replied, sweating. "But I know not a single word."

"Wh-why?" Yukari asked, as they and other people watched the two fight. The soldiers set up a perimeter, keeping the people from getting too close. Already, the girls made large gaps and marks on the nearby buildings.

"If the word order," explained Mako. "Is changed, or just one letter is capitalized or made lowercase, then the whole thing becomes messed up."

"Isn't German related to English?" Saori groaned.

"It is," Mako replied. "But German is not English, either."

"Jetzt sofort, sie versucht zuzuhören, wer ist wer," Maho repeated, as she kept striking at Miho.

 _Right now, she's trying to listen to who's who_ , Miho translated Maho's warning.

She gasped.

"Sie ist?!" Miho asked, meaning "She is?!"

Maho did not nod, but her eyes replied for her.

"Lass sie wissen nicht!" Maho screamed, before blasting Miho away with a ball of red energy. Miho did multiple back flips, and landed down gracefully.

A few people oohed and ahhed at her move, making her blush.

 _Don't let her know_ , Miho translated.

She smiled.

"Ja," she replied.

"Ja," Maho replied, pleased that her sister understood. Then, she groaned and screamed, and she collapsed. Then, she rose up again, brandishing the katana, which glowed blood-red now.

"So..." a strange voice hissed from Maho's mouth. Miho blinked, startled for a second, but kept her chainsaw sword raised and activated. The saw whirled and buzzed still.

"Who defeated my dear Maho?" it hissed. "The most powerful of my dear puppets? The crowning jewel of army, if she learns to kill for once!"

Miho shivered.

 _Did Onee-chan kill someone?_ Miho thought. _Wait, the voice implies that she has not!_

However, the voice was full of malice, causing Miho's stomach to churn. As Maho raised her head, Miho saw the same red eyes, but also felt another type of energy radiating from her.

 _I wonder_ , Miho thought, sweating. _It appears that there is another Chosen One! But her energy feels...cold and twisted._

Miho shivered at the thought.

"Who are you?" Miho asked, checking quickly to make sure that her disguise was on. She resolved to hold her ground, and not show any weakness in front of this new enemy.

"You must be the one," the voice hissed, higher-pitched and more malevolent than that of Maho. Whoever it was, the voice directed Maho to analyze Miho.

"Hmm," the voice snarled. "You look familiar...Are you...no, it's too early to assume."

 _Onee-chan_...Miho thought, a single tear forming in her left eye, which refused to fall down. Despite holding her composure, she internally ached to see someone else taking control of her beloved sister.

"You must know of this girl," the voice hissed again. "Or else you wouldn't be so concerned about her...a close friend, perhaps?"

As if demonstrating this, the voice directed Maho's hands to place her own katana right to her own neck. Although Miho did not flinch, her eyes widened slightly for a second, which the voice noticed.

"Ha..." it hissed. "I will see to it that she will be more...obedient...once she kills a human."

Miho gasped, and the voice laughed.

"Maybe a child will do!" it roared, laughing maliciously.

Miho covered her mouth with her left, still holding her sword. Her whole team gasped, as Hana and Saori both covered Liuyang's ears. Some of the soldiers around aimed their guns, willing to strike at a moment's notice.

"Murderer..." David hissed from not far away.

"That's one cold Chosen One," Dave remarked. "Apparently, somebody's controlling her."

Miho glimpsed up at the hole in the wall, and noticed that the Kuromorimine team reappeared. However, they were also struggling to keep control.

"Oh..." Koume gasped, holding her crossbow. A golden bolt appeared on her weapon, and she shot into the wall. Waves of golden sparks started to flow around the hole.

Maho shook, then her voice returned back to normal.

"Koume is fixing the wall," said Maho. "On my command. Keep your ID hidden, and-oh!"

Maho roared, as the voice returned to control her. She then rose up, her eyes blazing with intense fury.

"Ha..." it hissed. "Maho is one rebellious girl. And she's my strongest one, too!"

It directed to the wall, as the team left. Maho then jumped up at the wall.

"I will be back!" the voice roared. "Girls, I will teach you a lesson or two!"

She then jumped through.

"Wait!" Miho called out, jumping unto a nearby building to jump higher.

Suddenly, Maho appeared again, standing on top of the wall.

"Oh," the voice hissed. "By the way, the next time we meet..."

The voice pointed Maho's left hand at the red headphone on Maho's ears.

"You'll be wearing this too!" it chuckled darkly. Miho shivered.

"Wait!" Miho called out. "Come back!"

Maho, or whoever was controlling her, jumped away from view. Miho then followed suit, jumping into the hole to chase after her.

"Miho!" Liuyang tried to cry, but Saori quickly clapped her mouth shut.

"Careful!" Saori whispered. "You don't want-"

"Who's there?"

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **10:15 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Stand back!" the soldiers commanded, trying to calm down the crowd.

After Miho jumped through the wall hole to chase after the invaders, there was initial silence. Many people were petrified at so many things that just happened...

The gaping hole in the titanic wall...

The sudden appearance of five hostile Chosen Ones...

And the sudden appearance of one of the survivors being Chosen...

Then, it was mayhem.

"Who was that?!" multiple voices roared, and many people who watched the spectacle then burst into much noise.

"That was cool!"

"That was scary!"

"How did they enter?!"

Saori, Hana, Yukari, and Mako all stood together, stunned as they wondered what to do now.

"Who's there?" the same voice croaked, trying to find out who called out "Miho."

The five girls carefully blended into the crowd behind them; Hana personally hid Liuyang from behind her, while Saori kept her tight.

"What...what should we do?" Saori asked nervously. "Good thing nobody seemed to have heard us-"

"What's her name?!" somebody roared from the crowd.

"I heard she was Milan!" somebody declared.

"No! It was Hannah!" another claimed.

"No, I got it right!" another voice boomed. "It was Mike!"

"Mike is not a girl's name!" yet another voice joined in.

The five girls sighed in relief, as nobody apparently heard them, or heard them right.

Hana cleared her throat, as the others looked at her. Liuyang tightened her grip on Saori's left hand.

"It's alright," Saori calmed her, letting her hug her.

"I..." Hana sighed. "I don't know what to do next."

"Good thing nobody heard us," Mako uttered. "Hence, we better keep a low profile..."

"...and go back to our camp," said Yukari. "But...what about the-"

Mako cut her off, by tapping on her shoulders.

"They're coming," she whispered to the group.

They stared, petrified.

Three people approached them, despite blending into the crowd.

"Please move over," one of them boomed; his voice sounded familiar.

"Private David?!" Saori gasped.

"Careful!" Dave Burns called out next to him. "Coming through! Coming through!"

"Let's meet them inside a building," said Hana. "We'll talk to them in private."

"How-how do you know?" Saori asked.

"I see in their eyes..." Hana trailed off. "I hope."

"They are," Mako said. "Let's move."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **10:45 AM; July 11, 20XX**

The huge crowd behind them made it hard to move around. However, with a little dodging and squeezing in and out, the girls managed to enter a local inn, which was overflowing with people.

However, the girls heard a welcoming sight.

"No!" a clerk at the front desk moaned. "Our security cameras are out!"

"Guard everything at the desk, then!" her manager yelled. "And guards! Help her!"

"Good!" Yukari whispered to her friends. "We should stay here."

"Agreed," Hana replied. "But how will we..."

Mako glanced out the double door entrance.

"Good," Mako said. "We don't need to worry; our allies are coming."

David, Dave, and a nurse entered through the door, and followed the five girls, who decided to move to a less crowded area in the building. Once they reached an empty meeting room, the girls motioned them, and they entered.

"Good!" David sighed in relief. "I am glad that you all trusted us!"

"It was a risky move," Hana said. "But we guessed that you all were on good terms."

"It's thanks to Mako," Saori pointed out. "It was she who first pointed out that you all were on good terms with us. We thought you'll interrogate us or something!"

"Technically," said Dave. "That's what we're SUPPOSED to do, but I'll be frank with you: I do not like the whole safe zone...politics or system and all."

The girls stared.

"Is something wrong?" Saori asked innocently. "We feel safe here, except for the Chosen Ones attacking."

David and Dave both sighed.

"Rebecca," said David. "You can explain to them."

The pretty, tall redhead with green eyes cleared her throat, giving her best smile as she stared back at the girls.

Saori looked at her, and gasped.

"Aren't you," she asked. "The one who frisked Mipo-Michelle?!"

She tilted her head.

"Mipo-Michelle?" the nurse asked.

"Ehehehehe," Saori giggled nervously. "Sorry."

The girls looked up at the nurse. She looked above-average in height, with a slim build.

"So yes," she greeted the girls. "Sorry for the sudden notice. I am Rebecca Nurse."

"Nurse?" the girls asked.

"Yes," she giggled, blushing. "A nurse whose last name is also Nurse."

"And you know us," David smirked, pointing at himself and his friend, slapping him hard.

"Ouch!" Dave moaned. "That friendly slap is a little...too friendly!"

"Sorry," David rolled his eyes, but smiled.

"Anyway!" Dave cleared his throat. "Girls, where do you live?"

The girls looked at each other.

"It's alright," he explained. "I am sorry for the sudden meeting. But we know that the military will eventually seek out anyone with connections to the Chosen Ones. And apparently, your friend and leader was a Chosen One."

The girls slowly nodded.

"I understand," he continued. "Apparently, you all girls wanted to seek shelter, without the risk to your Chosen friend. It's obvious that you all are not Chosen, right?"

All five girls nodded in agreement.

"We first knew that," said Dave. "When we saw your friend Michelle with her giant, golden chainsaw-sword thing. Mind you, that was a very cool weapon!"

"You should say that to Ni-Michelle," said Yukari, quick to change the names. "She wields that thing."

"And I guess," David sighed. "That the military around here will take you, and interrogate you...with some...enhanced interrogation techniques."

All except Mako blinked, confused.

"Enhanced..." Hana began, but tried to think.

"Interrogation techniques?" asked Saori. "What's that? Mako?"

Mako paled, still as a stone statue.

"Guess she knows it," Rebecca said. "But let's explain: torture."

The girls gawked.

"Euphemism for the torture methods," said David. "We thought that they were gone for good...until the apocalypse struck."

Yukari suddenly punched at the desk, slamming it repeatedly with her right fist. She breathed in, and exhaled carefully. Saori, Hana, and Liuyang all huddled to each other, their faces pale.

"Yes," Rebecca sighed. "Although they have a different system for younger girls, torture is torture. We'll help you to get out of this safe zone."

"Again?" Saori sighed.

"Is this your second base?" asked Rebecca.

"No," Hana replied. "This is our first official safe zone. What Saori is saying..."

Hana silently covered her mouth, blushing that she made a slip. To her and her friends' surprise, the trio in front of them were unfazed.

"Understandable," said David. "I used it at first, then gave my real one, in order to be officially enlisted into the Army."

"We perfectly understand pseudonyms," Rebecca said. "In fact, I have my own."

David and Dave both looked at her, stunned.

"What?" both asked, incredulous.

"I am not Rebecca," she said. "But I am Rahab."

The people around her stared at her.

"But to be honest," she replied. "I prefer my nickname."

"We'll do," the two men replied.

"So then," Dave said. "What are your _real_ names?"

"Saori Takebe."

"Hana Isuzu."

"Yukari Akiyama."

"Mako Reizei," Mako finished. "Eh?"

The trio stared, gawking.

"From the Senshadou Parade?!" the adults gasped.

"Then your leader!" David gasped. "Is none other than Miho Nishizumi!"

The girls nodded.

"And what about Liuyang?" Rebecca asked.

"We rescued her," Hana replied. "She's part of our group right now."

"Hmm," David said. "This is going to be an issue. We're trying to find a way to take you all out, but we have to check everyone who enters and leaves..."

The people inside the room thought, while Liuyang just wandered around, bored as usual.

"There is one..." Rebecca said. "But this will involve Liuyang."

Liuyang looked up.

"Eh?"

"We heard some Chinese couple..." David explained. By the time he explained, everybody unanimously agreed, and Liuyang was jumping up and down for joy.

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:15 PM; July 11, 20XX**

"I definitely do not want the General North to interrogate you," said David. "That's why this is perhaps the only way to get you all through well."

The adults led the girls through an alleyway, as they stirred away from most of the patrols. Finally, they spotted it:

A helipad, with a helicopter ready to fly, its blades whirling. Next to it was a pair of Chinese people, a husband and a wife arguing at a small group of troops.

"What are they speaking?" asked Saori, as she and others hid behind a wall of a building. "It's definitely Chinese-"

"MOM! DAD!"

Liuyang suddenly bolted out of her hiding, and ran up to the helipad. David and Dave both looked at each other, nodding.

"OK, girls," said David, as Dave walked towards the helipad. "Farewell to your journey ahead. We thought of Plans A, B, and C. This time, it is the first time that Plan A is working."

"Thank you!" the girls bowed down in gratitude.

"We hope to see you again!" Yukari saluted.

"We will remember your kindness," said Hana.

"Thank you!" Saori declared.

David saluted back, then walked along. Liuyang was crying for joy, as she hugged her parents. However, she was also shedding another type of tears. She looked back, crying as she saw her old friends go...

* * *

 _"Please say goodbye to Miho sis, please," Liuyang sniffed, after crying for 10 minutes straight. "I-I want to say goodbye, but she jumped out..."_

 _The girls huddled around her, hugging her to comfort her._

 _"We will," they declared._

 _"Sorry that it's so short," said Saori. "But the faster we escape here, the better."_

 _"And if they are your parents," she added. "You get to escape, and tell a great story."_

 _"Th-thank you," Liuyang sobbed. "I-I hope to see you all again, especially Miho sis."_

 _"If the Plan A works," said David. "Plan A is that if they are Liuyang's parents, then that will create a BIG diversion. It will distract even the soldiers, who are more focused on getting rid of the couple, than on watching the supplies. Apparently, those two Chinese upper-class people are so incensed, that they are venting their rage on our poor soldiers. If so, then you girls can easily sneak through the supply depot, and use the boxes there to leave. That truck is the only truck that will leave the safe zone today. If all goes well, you all will leave this base, and from the hands of General North for good."_

 _"I hope it will work out," said Saori._

* * *

Saori and all of her friends wiped away their tears, looking at Liuyang one more time before quietly moving into a supply depot. They did not wave, because they wanted to avoid detection; they also told Liuyang to not wave, either.

"It hurts," Saori said the obvious. "But, we had to do what we had to do."

"At least it's not killing an innocent," Yukari tried to cheer up. "Hopefully we can say the same thing..."

The girls were quiet.

"Well," Hana said. "We also thanked both David King and Dave Burns-sama for their compassionate efforts. This should be the depot that is carrying boxes that will be delivered out."

They looked. The depot looked like a normal storage building, and a truck was just nearby.

"Let's go!" Hana declared, and the girls wasted no time in replacing some boxes with empty ones, then got in.

They did that, just as a few men came in, and recommenced their work of loading the goods.

"Good thing we brought everything we need," whispered Saori, as she noticed all four of her friends' boxes being loaded in. "And our goods, too."

They stored up their goods in separate boxes, which fortunately were loaded in.

"Oh boy!" Yukari whispered, as the door finally closed, and the engine revved. "We're going to be free!"

"Wait," Mako groaned. "What about the tent?"

The girls were silent...

"Uh oh," Saori realized.

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:30 PM; July 11, 20XX**

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

A huge, ominous voice boomed, as the soldiers surrounded the tent.

"COME OUT NOW!" the same voice roared.

"They already left," a neighbor said.

Glaring, the ominous man snarled.

"Get in!" the man declared. "And search every nook and cranny!"

He then regained his focus on the neighbor.

"Do you know who I am?" he snarled. "Mr. White guy?"

"Umm..." the white man stammered. "Wait a minute. You're General...North?"

He nodded slowly, snickering as he saw the man's face pale.

"They took everything away!" one of the soldiers came out of the tent. "Except for these name tags!"

North stomped towards him; the soldier shook, as he looked up at him.

General Henry North looked like a stereotypical military general: strong, robust, and powerful. He had a huge, towering stature; he was at least seven feet, but rumor had it that he was taller than that. He wore a dark green general's uniform, multiple stars and badges on them. His most distinct features, however, were the two deep scars on his face; they made a huge "X" sign, except that the lower left leg extended all the way past the right eye until it stopped around the middle of the right cheek.

General North growled, as he looked at the tags.

Suddenly, he crushed them all with his right fist.

"So," he boomed. "Our security measures failed to detect a Chosen One. We better discipline all of them."

The soldiers around him shook slightly, still trembling. Even after seeing him do this, the soldiers were still unnerved by the iron fist that this general ruled. It did not help that his facial scar made him both menacing and sinister.

"We've found one!" one of the soldiers declared; behind him, two soldiers were dragging Rebecca Nurse.

"So," North hissed. "Miss Rebecca Nurse, we will interrogate you for how she passed you."

Rebecca Nurse stood her ground.

"Do you know them?" he hissed.

She looked down, feigning innocence.

North then slapped her, hard.

"We'll let her think about her actions," said North. "And inactions, too."

The soldiers dragged her away.

"Find out anyone with connections to these girls!" North roared.

"I know them!" Phoebe Peterson came up, panting.

 _Good thing!_ she thought. _If I did not, North would assume that I am working with them, as he did with poor Rebecca!_

"What did you do?" North growled.

"They gave me pseudonyms," said Phoebe. "Then, I gave them the name tags that you just...crushed."

She looked at the shattered tags, shuddering in fear.

"And?" he continued, growling.

"And I told them to settle down here in Block Four," she replied. "I told them that this was the best place for them..."

She trailed off, when North stomped towards her, and towered over her. He glared at her for a few seconds, making her shiver.

"Take her away," he boomed. "We'll talk more later."

 _Oh no_ , she thought. _That did not work?! Dave and David were right! I should not have done this..._

A few soldiers behind, far away from North, sighed in resignation.

"Such a harsh rule," Private Ryan mumbled to Jonah. "We barely made it out, too."

"Yeah," he whispered. "Don't let North know about us talking with them..."

"Soldiers!" North boomed, causing everyone to salute in response. "Find anyone else who knows about the Chosen Ones, especially this...Michelle-girl, who used a fake name! Find them all, and bring them to Section 6!"

"Yes sir!" the soldiers roared in response, and split into groups.

"Man," Jonah sighed. "I wonder what has happened to the girls..."

He suddenly bumped into another group.

"Ouch!" he groaned. "So-sorry!"

"No-no," said David. "Sorry to bump into you."

Jonah noticed him and Dave watching a truck pass by, which stopped at a gate. There, a few security personnel talked to the driver, then checked around the vehicle. Jonah noticed David sweating a little, especially when one of the guards opened the back door. Then, he went out, checked around, and then went out. He sighed in relief, once the door was closed.

The guards signaled, and the gate opened slowly. Jonah watched, as David stared at the truck. It slowly moved out, and the gate slowly closed back in.

Thinking hard, Jonah suddenly gasped.

"Wait a minute," he began. "You..."

"Indeed," David smirked. "Let's hope that I won't get in trouble."

The two looked, and sighed in relief.

"Thanks for what you did for them," said Jonah. "I hope the girls will be well out there. Sure, they're in a survival zone out there."

"To be honest," David replied. "I think they're better out there."

"Huh?" Jonah asked. "Why?"

"Have you heard of Aesop's Fables?" David asked.

"Yes?" he replied. "Like 'The Hare and the Tortoise' kind of fairy tales."

David shook.

"There is one," he said. "A story called 'The Dog and the Wolf.'"

"Never heard of that," Jonah replied.

"Maybe that's why," David remarked. "That America is full of so many criminals."

"Huh?"

"That fable," he explained. "Is a fable about a hungry wolf, who wanders starving. He meets a nice, well-fed dog, who invites him to come to his house for a place to live. As the two went along..."

"Ah..." Jonah started to connect the dots. "I remember that story...the wolf noticed the collar on the dog's neck, and asks about it."

"And the wolf learns that it's what the dog is supposed to wear," David said. "As a mark of servitude, in return for food and shelter."

"The wolf decides to make a choice," Jonah mused. "And realizes..."

"That he decides that he prefers freedom over slavery," David bluntly declared. "BETTER STARVE FREE THAN BE A FAT SLAVE."

* * *

 **Something to think about. That is a real fable, one of the Aesop's Fables.**

 **To be honest, I did not expect the chapter to end with this. However, the story started to take a life of its own, and the rest is history.**

 **What do you think about the fable? Please review, but also review about the choice of the fable, and whether it worked out well. I also want to know about your opinion of it, especially as to why some fables are better-known than others.**

 **Plus, the chapter title works fabulously, as it also has a double meaning with Miho and Maho's fight.**

 **In the meantime, panzer vor!**

 **Tune in to next time: Miho will return!**


	22. Chapter 22: The Chosen II

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker!**

 **This week, October 31 was a special day. Actually, for two holidays: Halloween and Reformation Day.**

 **Halloween is something everybody knows, so I don't need to dabble much into that.**

 **Reformation Day is lesser-known, but it was this day in which Martin Luther did his famous act with the 95 Theses.**

 **Hence, I originally wanted to do something special for both days, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to update the story on time.**

 **So, this chapter will try and honor both, so:**

 **Happy belated Halloween and Reformation Day!**

 **(And see the subtle references to both. I will give a hint for the Reformation Day: check the scene with the white building.)**

 **(Update: Revised so that the title has changed. Man, why is the number "2" a common theme here...)**

 **(Update 2: I give a shout-out to aGuestfromGreece45 for his early review. I appreciate that, so that I revised it once again!)**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 22: The Chosen II**

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"How long are we in here?"

This time, it was not Saori who complained.

Of all the girls to complain...

It was Hana.

"Why?" Mako asked lazily, trying to sleep in her box.

"It is very tight in here," she moaned.

"The first time I hear you complain," Mako remarked, waking up a little. "You sound like Saori, but calmer."

"Mako!" Saori moaned in her own box. "Man! This IS tight in here! Can we go out?"

"Not yet!" Yukari declared. "Heh..."

She sighed, and the others understood. Sure, Liuyang finally found her parents, but they were now...alone, again.

The girls became quiet, letting the truck's engine and tires do all the "talking." The truck continued to roll through, reinforced with heavy armor plating on all sides, keeping the zombies from clawing at it. Special troops, dressed in shiny, knight-like plated armor patrolled with the truck.

"Isn't the truck moving any faster?" Saori groaned, as she peeked through a crack in her box.

"It's to keep it quiet," said Mako. "And to avoid detection from the enemies."

"Zombies..." Yukari replied. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen one in a while."

"It's been just a day or so!" Saori roared.

"Hmm?" a soldier peeked in.

The girls all held their breath.

"Man," the soldier groaned. "I shouldn't have drunk too much yesterday...Must be dreaming."

He resumed his patrol, and the girls sighed in relief.

"Please hold yourself," Hana advised calmly.

"So-sorry," Saori said. "I-I guess I am still...on edge."

"You're not the only one," Mako stuttered.

"But yeah," Yukari continued. "To be honest, I want to be Chosen, in order to better help out everyone, as Miho did to protect the base."

"And to slay the zombies for good," Mako chimed in. "Man, I want to defeat them, and find my grandma."

"Speaking of zombies," began Hana. "Where could Miho-san be-"

"INCOMING!" a soldier screamed, as a blast hit a few yards away.

The blast rocked the truck, causing the driver to panic and rev up the engine. He drove as fast as possible, with the soldiers leaving behind.

"Hey!" one of them roared. "Don't leave us!"

"Oh no..." the girls shivered, as they saw what transpired.

The soldiers chased after the truck, only to encounter an enormous horde of zombies. Suddenly, they all sprinted, and swarmed their human quarry. The girls shook, as they saw the soldiers visibly screaming in pain, but to no avail.

"We should get out," began Hana. "Before we-"

She got cut off again, as another blast hit. This time, it hit dead-on.

The truck flew into the air, and went into a death roll, rolling five times before resting on its hood.

All four girls inside screamed and wailed, as the truck's rolling body caused their boxes and other goods inside to roll around.

"Ahhh!" the girls screamed.

"I am dying!" Mako screeched.

"Don't die now!" Saori screamed.

"NO!" Hana yelled, as her own box suddenly opened up; she struggled to keep the lid closed.

Then, the truck coughed, as the tumbling ended.

"Ugh..." the girls groaned, as the silence filled the air. The truck's engine totally stopped.

"Is..." Saori coughed. "Everybody alright?"

She and Hana opened up their lids carefully, looking around.

The inside of the truck was a mess, with boxes and all kinds of goods thrown everywhere.

Yukari tried to open hers, but it was stuck. She just licked it open.

"Ouch!" she hissed, accidentally scratching on her right leg, which scraped a stray nail from the box. "I am OK."

Saori and Hana crept out, dusting themselves.

"Mako," she said. "Are you there?"

Mako did not answer.

"Mako?" Saori asked. "MAKO!"

Saori frantically opened up the boxes, trying to find her.

"Here!" Hana replied, opening up a small box. Mako snored inside.

"Augh," she groaned. "Let me sleep-"

Saori slapped her.

"Ouch..." Mako groaned. "Stop it...don't turn me."

"I will turn you into your grandma, then," Saori retorted, causing her to flinch.

"I am awake, I am awake," she moaned, getting out of her box and stretching. "Ouch, a bad place to sleep."

The girls all dusted themselves, checking themselves.

"Just minor scrapes and bruises," Saori confirmed.

"Here is our stuff!" Yukari said, bringing out all of the belongings. "Ouch, that still hurts!"

"Yukarin!" Saori admonished her, checking her scratch. "This looks a little bad; a scar could form if we don't treat this."

"Let me check the front," Mako said, wobbling a little. "There is a first-aid kit there, I assume."

He limped away, still groggy from sleep.

"Uh oh," Hana realized, checking her own goods. "Now that I think about it, we don't have any-"

"AHHHHH!" Mako screamed, running back with a first-aid kit.

"Mako?" Saori asked.

"...any weapons," Hana finished her sentence, as she and others looked at Mako.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Mako gasped. "Stand-a-a-way!"

"Eh?" Saori asked. "Stand away?"

"Stay away from there!" Mako quickly replied.

Suddenly, they noticed a figure standing out there.

"Is that the truck driver?" Saori asked, about to approach him.

The figure looked like a middle-aged man, with a work uniform on. He wore a smile on his face, but it was weird smile...

"Saori!" Mako grabbed her frantically. "Don't let IT trick you!"

"It?" Saori and Hana both asked.

"That zombie!" she gasped. "It can transform!"

As soon as she finished her sentence, the figure crouched on all fours, and the uniform fell off. The limbs all turned into long, spider-like projections, and the body turned all-blue, with the man's head distorted into a giant, blue ball with two black eyes and a a worm-like mouth.

The girls gawked, frozen in fear.

"Good eyes," the zombie moaned. "I am amazed that a mere mortal has seen through the disguise of a zombie."

"Oh no..." Saori shivered.

"The man controlling this," it continued, pointing at the driver's seat. "Was quite an easy target. But augh, too much alcohol in his body. But you..."

It crept towards them, and the girls backed away.

"Succulent flesh," it moaned. "And fresh, no alcohol too. Mm..."

It drooled, and the girls shivered again.

"Oh no..." Hana gasped.

They had no weapons.

They had no one around.

And they were alone with a single, powerful zombie that could transform its body at will.

"Who are you?" Hana asked, more to try and buy some time, than to ask out of curiosity.

"I am a Doppelganger," it moaned. "In human stories, it is one that disguises and kills those it looks like. But I am a zombie, and I cannot transform..."

It raised its left arm, the pale blue claws stained with fresh blood.

"...unless I eat someone like you," it moaned.

The girls shivered, backing away.

"You may run," it moaned. "But...can you run forever?"

All girls held their hands together.

"Can we even run?" Saori gasped.

"Stay still," Hana replied, sweating.

"Hold me," Mako shook furiously.

"Hang-hang in there," Saori grabbed her tight.

"Nishizumi-dono..." Yukari groaned. "Please...come."

"Game over," it uttered, rising up to strike.

Suddenly, it screamed in terror, as something golden flashed by its back. Suddenly, the upper half of its body fell down, as the lower half slowly tumbled backwards. A tall girl stood by, a golden saw in hand.

"MIHO!" the girls all yelled in delight.

Miho panted, the whirling chainsaw on her right hand.

"Sorry for the delay," she panted, fixing her hair. "I am glad to be here, just in time!"

"Sorry to NOT inform you!" Saori gasped, crying. "We had to run away soon!"

"It's OK," Miho said, smiling. "You had to do what you had to do."

"Oh..." the Doppelganger moaned. "It sucks. A Chosen One here, of all the creatures to meet..."

"What is it?" Miho asked, her voice full of indignance, as she raised her sword up to strike the final blow. "And nobody hurts my friends."

"No-no," it groaned. "I was not trying to kill them, but trying to scare them."

Miho and the others blinked.

"But scaring them first," Miho corrected. "Then eating them."

"Eh..." it moaned. "...yes, pretty much-"

 _Slash!_

"There you go," Miho declared, looking at her blade. The bloodstain on it quickly dissipated, as if the blade was cleaning itself. The decapitated parts of the zombie then rapidly disintegrated into a cloud of golden dust.

"Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari screamed, crashing into her, careful to avoid the blade's whirling saw.

"I am back, girls," she replied, patting her. "And thanks for your concern."

She blinked. She was looking DOWN at Yukari, way down.

"Yu-Yukari-san?" she asked. "Did you..."

"Eh?" Yukari looked, then UP at her. "Um...Nishizumi-dono? Did you...did you grow?"

"Me?" she asked. "No, I didn't...did I?"

The girls stared at their leader. Even Hana, the tallest member, looked UP at her own leader.

"Wait a minute..." Hana said, eyeing Miho. "Miho-san..."

Saori blinked, and gasped.

"You did grow!" she gasped. "Your measurements are different now!"

"Eh?" Miho asked, looking down at herself. "My clothing did not stretch; they feel just right. But...now that you mention it..."

The girls were silent, as Miho looked down, while her own friends looked up.

"Let's just go find a scale," Mako said plainly, although her face belied her deep shock. "We need to know. This Chosen thing is starting to be interesting..."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **8:30 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Now," Miho said, as she went up on the measuring scale. "How tall am I?"

Miho and her group raided a local clinic, and Miho did the "hard" job of eliminating the undead inside. All ten zombies vaporized into cloud of golden dust, and the bloodstains on the desks and chairs also disappeared. Once the coast was clear, Miho stood on top of a measuring scale.

"To be honest," Saori said, as she checked the scale. "You made survival for us very, VERY easy."

"Only if Miho-san is here," Hana said, using a set of binoculars to check the outside. Mako searched the shelves for any medical kits, while Yukari rummaged through the team's belongings to find anything that could be turned into weapons.

Saori gasped, gawking.

"How tall were you?" Saori asked.

"She was 158 cm tall," Yukari replied. "Why?"

"This scale!" Saori cried. "Uses the American system of measurement, not the metric one we Japanese use!"

Mako calmly came over, checked the scale, then went back to check on a book.

Mako's eyes widened, then her jaw dropped wide.

"198 cm tall," Mako said.

"WHAT?!" everybody else screamed in shock.

"Eh?!" Miho gasped, looking down at herself.

Miho checked her own body. She wore the same uniform, which still fit her perfectly. She then dashed to a nearby mirror, which was large enough to show her whole body.

"Umm," Miho uttered, looking at it. "I don't look that much different."

"Except you're now 40 cm taller," Mako said, the shock resonating through her voice. "Scientifically, there is no way for a human to grow 40 cm in...one day or something?"

"And," Saori added. "Like I said before, your measurements are now...bigger."

"Especially," she added. "Your chest."

Saori blushed, her cheeks tomato-red. Miho looked down at herself.

She was right. Right now, Miho was not only the tallest of her group; she also had...

Miho covered her chest, blushing.

"My body," she gasped. "My body wasn't this big a while ago?"

"Maybe," Mako said, in a thinking pose. "The more you use your power, the more you grow or something?"

"Wait!" Saori said. "So does...becoming Chosen do this to you?!"

She suddenly had a dreamy look in her.

"In your dreams," Mako rudely woke up, causing her to pout.

"Mako!" Saori yelled, pinching her. "How dare you ruin my dream!"

"Well, anyway," Mako said, after Saori stopped. "Anything else you feel?"

"I don't know," Miho admitted, trying to think.

Mako took out her pocket notebook, scribbling down notes.

"I wonder," she mused. "Is this...permanent?"

Miho shrugged.

"Now that I think about it," Hana mused. "When Miho first fought against her sister, her sister was significantly taller than her and us..."

"Then," Yukari chimed in, as she took out a few knives and wrenches. "That means that being Chosen affects other Chosen Ones?"

"I don't know," Mako admitted. "But this is...somehow, more interesting than tanks."

Mako glimpsed at Yukari, whose face was reddening and pouting.

"Tanks are cool!" she declared out loud. "No matter what happens!"

Yukari then took out the armored skirts, the only pieces of what remained of their tank.

"And if I become Chosen," she declared. "We will hold our memories of Senshadou, together!"

Miho grinned, and giggled.

"Let's us do so," Miho replied, coming over and touching the armored skirts. The black paint was fading, and one part revealed the team's cute Anglerfish logo.

"But," Saori sighed. "This also means that...we have to avoid the safe zones, right?"

Silence filled the inside, as the zombies outside shambled by, unaware of the quiet girls inside of the clinic.

"Ye-yes," Miho finally broke the silence. "Now that I exposed myself, you all also would be targeted."

"Oh yeah," Hana said. "Did we tell you about how we escaped?"

"I already know," Miho said. "Liuyang told me."

"Liu-HOW?!" the girls gasped.

"I came back early," Miho explained. "I wanted to keep chasing my sister and her team, but Maho gave me a look, which I understood perfectly well. Although I did not want to, I had to call off the chase. As I watched them run away, I remembered you girls, and decided to come back. I saw General North from a distance, and my ears were sharp enough to hear what he said..."

She shook.

"...and he's not a friendly one," Miho admitted. "As I saw Rebecca Nurse, the one who frisked me, being taken away, and Phoebe Peterson as well. Then, I saw you all with David and Dave, who then led you all to a supply depot. Liuyang then found her parents."

"How did you know this much?" Saori gasped.

"Chosen Ones," Mako said. "Apparently have heightened senses. Plus, you hid behind the wall, right?"

Miho nodded.

"And," she continued. "I saw Liuyang as she was about to enter the helicopter. I cried, as I saw her. Suddenly, she made an excuse to go to a bathroom. I watched her, and to my surprise, she went to one that was right next to the wall. I knew what I had to do."

"You jumped down," Saori guessed. "Hugged her, said your last goodbye, and then learned from her everything else, right?"

Miho nodded.

"Now," Saori said. "I believe that we all should become Chosen, anytime soon."

"Sooner than later," Mako chimed in.

"But," Yukari said. "How?"

The girls became quiet again.

"How did you become Chosen?" Mako asked.

"Well," Miho thought over. "Let me see..."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"And that's much I know," said Miho, as she stood up and summoned her sword. "More zombies out there. They found us."

She casually went out of the door, and swung her sword around, in order to attract the zombies' attention.

"So," Saori said quite nonchalantly, as Miho slashed at the enemies left and right with ease. "I guess...we have to be in a near-death moment or something?"

The girls thought over what Miho said, as she continued to slaughter monsters outside.

"Good thing she's out there," Mako admitted, as Miho decapitated a Burner. "Now, we can think more clearly."

"Well," Hana said, as a Freezer lost its head. "From what we know, Miho was not only desperate, but also saved Liuyang and she reached for a weapon."

"She admits to not knowing much," Yukari said, as a Shocker tried to run away. "Except that the chainsaw glowed."

"In other words," Mako said, as Miho fired a blast that vaporized the Shocker. "One: we have to be in a near-death moment. Two: we have to do something righteous and noble. And three: we have to reach for the weapon that glows."

"Easier than it really sound," Saori admitted.

The girls sighed.

"If it's necessary," Mako said. "We may have to...be in a situation where Miho cannot save us."

"But there is no guarantee!" Saori uttered.

"And Miho remembered praying to a god," Hana said, thinking hard. "Or was it God with a capital 'G' or something?"

"Ah," Mako said. "I forgot that part."

"For now," Yukari said, putting some materials on a table. "We need to make some weapons for ourselves."

Everybody, even Hana, groaned either audibly or silently.

"This is bad," Yukari admitted. "Even I admit...melee weapons are good for slow zombies, the typical kind. For stronger, magical ones, none of these will work!"

"At least," Mako said, tapping at a nail carefully. "Something is better than nothing."

"So then," began Hana. "I will make a spear-"

"AAHHHH!"

Everybody turned around, stunned as they saw a figure being thrown at least 300 feet away. Something hit her hard enough for her to fly away that far.

"Miho!" the girls gasped, with Saori and Hana first to get out of the door.

"AAHHH!" Yukari and Mako both screamed; just as they were about to get out, the front entrance caved in. Splintered blocks of timber, glass, and steel fell through, blocking the way.

"Yukari! Mako!" Saori and Hana both gasped, seeing the entrance blocked off. "And-uf!"

Something hit them, and both girls flew into the air.

"What was..." Saori gasped, realizing that they were flown, like a baseball hit by a bat.

Suddenly, Miho jumped up, and caught them just in time.

"Mi-Miporin," Saori gasped, still wincing from the pain.

"Saori-chan! Hana-chan!" Miho told them, putting them far away on a ceiling of a tall building. "Stay here!"

She then jumped down.

"Miho-san..." Hana moaned, partially conscious.

She stood up, holding her stomach.

"Something whipped me," she groaned.

"Me too..." Saori moaned, holding her belly. "Ouch, I thought I was fat; now, I am slimmer than I thought."

"This is no time to complain..." Hana gasped.

Suddenly, both realized.

"Miho!" Saori and Hana both gasped, remembering what had transpired.

"Ah!" Miho screamed again, as something struck her hard. The two girls saw in horror, as a sickly, bluish-gray tentacle lashed at her, sending her flying into the air.

Saori and Hana looked at each other.

"We may not be able help her," said Hana. "But let's go!"

"Here!" Saori grabbed a door to downstairs. "Let's-uf!"

She collapsed in pain, holding her stomach.

"That still hurts," she groaned.

"No matter," Hana said, opening the door. "Ouch, although it hurts, we have to go!"

They looked down the stairs. It was dark, except for a single lightbulb flickering. Without thinking, the two nodded at each other, and went down.

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Ouch," Miho shook herself, dusting her own uniform. The tears on it somehow regenerated, and her wounds disappeared.

"Good thing to heal fast," she said to herself, as she dodged another blow. "This zombie is fast!"

Hidden beneath a cloud of dust, something was whipping at her. She jumped up to a building, only to dodge again when the grayish-blue tentacles wrapped around the building, and crushed it like a snake's coil.

"What is this zombie?" Miho wondered aloud, dodging again. "I can't approach it, because of so many tentacles there, and the few long ones are making it difficult to-"

She stopped to dodge another whip, as a lone tentacle tried to knock her down.

"And," Miho noted. "It's creating a cloud of dust to hide itself."

She continued to dodge by leaping away. Each time she leaped, a tentacle shot out, trying to swipe at where she landed. Each time it missed, but each time it also caused some heavy damage.

"If I was not Chosen," Miho remarked, surveying the damage. "I would have-the girls!"

She stopped, looking around frantically.

"Oh yeah!" she began. "I remember that-"

 _WHAM!_

A tentacle managed to land a blow, batting her away like a baseball. Despite the blow, Miho focused on landing on her two feet. She did a few back flips, in order to maintain her balance. However, a single pebble on the ground made her stumble, and she crashed down into a wooden door.

"Ouch!" she gasped. "Man, I missed a beat!"

She turned around, and blinked.

It was a plain-looking, white building. The exterior looked strangely like that of the Colosseum, but white and a little ornate. Vines with red roses and red grapes lined the walls. Green-crowned trees surrounded the building. Above, an azure dome towered above. Even taller were three towers that stood upwards to the sky. Each one was colored a distinct type: red, blue, and white.

Narrowing her eyes, she saw something taped to the door: a worn-out paper ad, with a few faint words:

 **95 Things of the Times: What do You Think about Now?**

"Red, white, and blue," Miho mused. "And do I think about now? Bad, but I wonder-"

She refocused, and parried a blow from a tentacle with her chainsaw. The blade whirled, and sawed off a bit.

"Raughrukrikrak!" a strange sound boomed from the cloud of dust, apparently screeching in pain. The cut part of the tentacle wriggled around, while the stump of the original furiously flew in the air, writhing in pain.

Miho stared intently, as the cloud slowly subsided.

"H-huh?" Miho gawked, her jaw dropping at the bizarre but hideous sight.

Although the tentacles were of a sickly bluish color, the source of the tentacles was...unsettling.

It looked like a blob of tentacles, mashed up together into one weird ball of strings of sort. Furthermore, the tentacles that made up the body were not only sickly blue, but also of a bloody-red color. Miho squirmed a little at it.

"Eww..." she moaned at the sight. "Blood-like and bluish tentacles all mashed up together...Yuck!"

Suddenly, two gaps inside appeared, and what looked like empty, white but bloodshot eyeballs appeared. Despite the lack of irises, Miho realized that it was watching her.

"Eww..." she moaned again. "This is unlike any zombie I've ever met."

"Your attacks are futile," it moaned. "I already know them."

Miho blinked.

"You humans do not know me," it moaned. "For I have killed each one, even the Chosen Ones."

Miho gasped.

"Normally," it continued. "We all can be easily killed, even by an inexperienced Chosen One. Fortunately, one of them became depressed, and I consumed her..."

Miho shivered.

"So," Miho said, shivering a little. "You are an Absorber, right?"

"Very smart," said the zombie. "That's why I am a mass of tentacles..."

"And the more you absorb," Miho uttered, sweating. "The more grotesque you look."

"Quite a smart one there," it moaned. "Because you got my name right, and you answered instead of merely attacking, I will tell you my weakness."

Miho blinked, confused.

"I cannot be killed," it boomed. "Unless three Chosen Ones are here."

Miho stared at it, confused. Suddenly, she noticed a door creak open by a crack, in order to avoid detection.

Miho's heart jumped for joy, seeing her friends still alive and standing. They waved safely from a distance. Unfortunately, the zombie noticed them, and the girls tried to barricade the door, as the tentacles charged at them.

It was no use.

"Saori-chan! Hana-chan!" Miho yelled, watching in horror as the tentacles tried to slither their way into the door. Suddenly, one of them found a gap in a window, and the tentacles all smashed into that gap. Screams rang out, as they drew out the poor victims.

Two large tentacles, each grayish-blue and the size of an anaconda's long body, lifted up her friends, wrapped like prey ready to be eaten.

"Miporin!" Saori groaned, as the tentacle wrapped tighter and tighter. "Ugh!"

"Miho-san!" Hana moaned. "So-sorry for this."

"You desire them to live," the zombie hissed, watching her. "Give yours."

Miho held out her sword, then looked up and down. The zombie was strangling her own friends tighter and tighter, as she looked at her sword.

She closed her eyes, muttered something in her mouth, and then, after a few seconds, dropped her sword. It continued to whirl and buzz with golden and light magenta energy, although it radiated more white sparkles.

"Bring it," she said, and the monster dropped the girls unto a nearby store, who gasped as the tentacles wrapped around her, and slammed the poor Miho like a rag doll.

"Hahahahahahaha!" the Absorber roared, pleased. "Finally, I get to PLAY with a Chosen One, before eating her!"

It continued to laugh hysterically, as Miho is smashed around and around. Saori and Hana winced, as they were finally freed from bondage, and tried to stand up.

"Oh..." Saori moaned. "What the-ouch!"

Saori looked down, gasping.

"My legs!" she shrieked. "They're-they're all broke!"

Saori sat on the floor, with debris all around, as she surveyed her own legs. Although whole, they were twisted, showing that they had broken bones.

"Me...too..." Hana uttered. "The..tentacle..."

Both looked at each other. Although their arms were totally fine, their legs were smashed. Hana suffered just as much as Saori did; her beautiful legs were twisted in multiple places.

"At-at least," Saori groaned. "We can crawl, but so slowly!"

Saori moved her body. Although she cringed as she accidentally used her legs, she found out that the rest of her body was functional.

"Mi-Miporin!" Saori cried out.

The Absorber then held out Miho, forcing to watch her friends writhe in pain.

"Look at your friends," it sneered. "They are spared, but I crushed their legs!"

"You..." Miho gasped. "But I am not going to give up!"

"Suit yourself," the Absorber grunted, and slammed her into a store building, the same one that the girls were nearby. The building fell apart, and debris of rocks and steel fell down to the ground. Splintered wood blocks stood up like spikes. A huge hole appeared at where the Absorber threw her. Miho, however, stood up, but winced in pain.

"Miho!" the girls gasped, looking back in shock. Both dragged their bodies as much as they could, crawling towards the wreckage of the building.

"Ouch!" Saori moaned, as her legs twisted again.

"Hang in there, Miho-san!" Hana called out.

"There's too much stuff here!" Saori yelled, trying to navigate through the obstacles of debris. The Absorber, cackling, continued to throw Miho back and forth into the same spot in the building. Every time it did, debris continued to fall down like rain.

"It appears to focus on doing that," Hana wondered. "I wonder why..."

"Hana!" Saori screeched.

"Oh, I am sorry," Hana snapped out of her trance, as she tried to navigate through the debris.

Despite the huge pain, the girls were too focused on Miho to think of much.

"We are coming!" Hana called out. "We are-oh!"

Hana winced, as she found her left leg stuck. A stray debris of rock and concrete dropped on her leg, and she realized that she could not pull it.

"I am stuck," Hana said.

"Hana!" Saori cried. "I am coming!"

She crawled towards her, but Hana shook her head.

"Keep going," she said. "Because...I am sorry."

Hana calmly took something from inside of her shoulder purse, which she somehow carried still. Saori gasped, as she saw the glint of a knife.

"Hana!" Saori cried out. "No-AHH!"

She found her right leg stuck in another debris, and watched in horror as her old friend gritted her teeth.

"I am sorry," Hana said, aiming her knife...at her own left leg. She winced in silent but great pain, as she gradually cut her leg off.

Saori turned her eyes away, sobbing profusely.

Above, the tentacles reappeared, took out Miho, and continued to pound her as much as possible, while the monster behind roared and laughed maniacally.

"Foolish Chosen!" it boomed. "You lose!"

"I am..." Miho gasped, as each hit felt like a concussion. "...not giving up."

"Then," it hissed. "I will pound you, until I know you're dead as dead!"

With a small scream, Hana finally cut off her leg, and threw the knife at Saori. She turned to look down at it.

"Good...thing," Hana moaned. "I cut...oh! I cut through...a part...where it was already broken."

"Hana..." Saori sniffed, as the Absorber continued to mercilessly torture Miho.

"Make sure you clean it," Hana said with a little smile, as she dragged her body through the remains of the building.

Saori sniffed, but made a resolve, as she stared down at her own broken legs.

"I may not be able to find love," she sniffed, but cleaned the knife with an alcohol wipe from a special pack she stored inside of her own purse. "But..."

She then wiped it clean with her handkerchief, and put it to her right leg.

"We have to save our leader," she declared, and screamed as she forced the knife to cut through. She then threw the knife away, and tore her body away.

"Oh..." she groaned, looking painfully at her amputated right leg.

"But," she made a resolve, as she dragged her body towards where Miho was being pounded. "I am...going still. Oh, it hurts!"

For some reason, the Absorber focused on pounding Miho into a specific building, a former convenience store with a variety of goods, such as tools and food.

"Do you know why you're being pounded?" it hissed maniacally.

Miho did not reply, trying to hang on.

"I know that you found your weapon," the zombie boomed. "In a store like this; so, I am going to kill you in a store like this!"

It kept pounding, throwing her back and forth into the building like a racquetball. Every hit made both Saori and Hana wince. Although she could resist the blows after blows, Miho could not hold for long.

Finally, after a few seconds of torture, as the girls continued to drag their bodies towards her, the zombie stopped its actions.

It then huffed and puffed, as its hideous mass of tentacles slided towards Miho. She looked unconscious, lying on top of a pile of rocks and broken steel.

The girls, however, were almost there.

"Miho-san!" Hana called out. "We are-oh!"

She collapsed onto the floor, gasping.

"Hana!" Saori screamed. "You OK?"

"Oh..." she groaned. "I-I think I feel thirsty."

"Oh no!" Saori realized. "Hana! You should not have cut your leg too deep!"

"Huh?"

"See?" Saori pointed at her amputated leg. "I cut only below the knee. You cut above, and you cut it too close to a big artery there!"

"Oh," Hana gasped, panting. "No wonder...I was wondering why I was losing so much blood."

"You guys..." Miho gasped. "You don't need...to save me...I need to..."

"Miho!" the two girls shrieked, as they felt a mysterious boost of energy, and managed to reach her just in time.

"A lot of adrenaline you have, right?" Miho asked, trying to sound optimistic.

The zombie slided closer and closer, giggling louder and louder, its laughter as hideous as its own appearance itself.

"Hang in there!" Saori screamed, grabbing Miho by her left arm. "We're with you. Even Yukari and Mako are with you!"

"Miho-san!" Hana raised her voice, lightly caressing Miho's right arm. "Please!"

"You don't have to bother...with...honorifics," Miho panted. "Just...Miho will do."

Tears fell down, as both girls sobbed.

"If I don't kill her now," the Absorber giggled maniacally. "She will fully recover. But you two..."

It raised 13 of its tentacles up in the air.

"...are in my way," it boomed. "Get away, or I will kill you."

"You broke your promise!" Saori screamed. "So we will protect Miho to the bitter end!"

She looked around, and grabbed for the nearest things: a pair of fans.

On impulse, she reached for them, and opened them fully. The translucent, whitish paper marks fluttered, as a wind blew through, glowing in the sun. She then waved it, trying to distract the monster.

Hana then reached for something more weapon-like: a wooden club.

"A bokken!" she moaned, as she quickly reached for a tape, and attached it to a pole to make it longer. She raised it up, in a last ditch to save Miho's life.

"I am sorry," she gasped. "Miho."

"Ich hoffe, dich im Himmel zu sehen," Miho muttered.

"What is she talking about?" Hana asked, still panting.

Saori craned in, and heard her whisper her own translation:

"Sister, I hope to see you in Heaven."

Saori sobbed, as she covered Miho with her fans.

"We're sorry!" she sobbed. "We're so weak to save you!"

"No," Miho smiled. "You all did it for me..."

A small ball of white light blossomed from above Miho's chest, but nobody noticed it.

"Thanks for keeping us alive," Saori panted, looking at her. "I can't be useful for once, but I will do what WE can!"

"We live with a bang," said Hana, gasping for breath. "Let us finish this, with a BANG!"

"Foolish girls," the monster hissed. "Die!"

The two girls screamed, as they raised up their "weapons" to at least shield Miho from the tentacles that were about to strike them.

However, the monster screamed, terror feeling up its voice as two pillars of light rose up the sky; one was vermilion, while the other was azure.

* * *

 **Well-well, I hope that this was not rushed.**

 **To be honest, I had no idea that this story would end up like this.**

 **Well, any review is appreciated. I am especially concerned with details and the speed of the chapter.**

 **Did I rush? Or is the movement great? Do I need more details etc.?**

 **And yes, if you write a story long enough, sometimes the story seems to take a life of its own...**

 **Thank you, and happy belated Halloween and Reformation Day!**


	23. Chapter 23: The Turning Tide

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker!**

 **Last week, October 31 was a special day. Actually, for two holidays: Halloween and Reformation Day.**

 **Halloween is something everybody knows, so I don't need to dabble much into that.**

 **Reformation Day is lesser-known, but it was this day in which Martin Luther did his famous act with the 95 Theses.**

 **Hence, I originally wanted to do something special for both days, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to update the story.**

 **So, this chapter will try and honor both.**

 **Happy belated Halloween and Reformation Day!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 23: The Turning Tide**

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:30 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"What the..."

Saori and Hana both found themselves standing up. The Absorber writhed in pain, squirming in its mass of tentacle mess. Multiple tentacle pieces dotted the area; apparently, the twin blasts of energy from before (which suddenly appeared) obliterated a huge chunk of the zombie's own mass of tentacles. They then looked at each other, and gasped.

"Saori-san..." Hana said, mouth wide open.

"Hana..." Saori gawked.

Both girls found their own bodies fully healed; even their own clothing was restored fully, without any tear or stain. Faint glows emitted from the two; Saori's aura appeared to be vermilion, while Hana's was azure. Both eventually faded, as if nothing had happened. Best of all, the girls were standing on...two feet.

"Our legs!" Saori gasped, looking down. She hopped up and down, and screamed for joy, as she realized that her missing left leg was finally restored.

"Mine too," Hana sighed in relief, moving her right leg. Both girls found their legs intact, and they also realized something else, too...

"Man!" Saori groaned. "I remember being in such a great pain, and I grabbed the first things I found nearby. Now that I think about it, how am I supposed to defend with..."

She looked down at her own hands, which held two weapons that dazzled her.

"Wait a minute..." she blinked. "What are..."

Her jaws dropped, as Hana gasped nearby.

"Are those..." Hana uttered. "Gunsen war fans?"

Saori held them out in the air. The two fans she wielded were no longer made of paper or looked plain; the two handheld fans were now bright vermilion, like that of red-hot iron. They looked like the kind of ancient gunsen war fans that Saori saw, back when she was a kid at a museum.

However, these were different. Besides being bright vermilion, the handles that allowed the fans to open were bright green in color, like the fresh color of bamboos. Sparks of light radiated out of the fans, like embers from a bonfire.

Saori gazed at the fans, opening and closing them. As she did, the fans flickered in the sunlight, the ember-like sparks floating in the air. Strangely attracted to them, she fanned herself, breathing in the ember-like lights. Suddenly, she felt well, and realized that she herself felt stronger.

"Wow," she remarked. "So, this is how it feels like to be-Miho!"

She dashed to Miho's side. Although seriously hurt, Miho shook and opened her eyes.

She grinned.

"Wow," Miho uttered. "Good thing I was not a normal girl."

She giggled a little, trying to lift up the mood.

"Miporin!" Saori groaned, fanning her on impulse. "Don't do that again, please!"

"Well," Miho said, as she felt the embers on her face. "You weren't Chosen at first, so I had to protect you somehow."

Saori stopped, and sighed in agreement.

"Yeah," Saori replied, but smiled. "But finally, I am Chosen! Now, I can do so mu-"

Suddenly, Miho tackled Saori, as a single tentacle was about to strike Saori behind her back. Apparently, the zombie had a very fast rate of regeneration, and launched one of its newly formed tentacles.

A crater formed where the tentacle struck, but somehow got stuck in the cloud of dust.

"Eh?" the zombie grunted, pulling. Hard as it tried, something was holding its tentacle, unnerving it.

"What..." it trailed off, as the cloud disappeared, revealing a girl holding the tentacle.

"Not so fast..." Hana whispered, her voice echoing slightly. She calmly held the tentacle, her face tranquil but full of determination and resolve.

The zombie tried to pull away with all its might, its instincts warning it of the black-haired girl. However, Hana held the tentacle with her left hand firmly.

"Let...let...go," the zombie moaned, trying to pull away.

"Let me tell you something," said Hana, feeling something boil inside of her chest. She lifted her face up, slowing expressing silent anger.

"No one..." she whispered. "...and I mean, NO ONE...hurts my friends...in front of me."

The zombie made an audible gulping sound, before chaos struck.

Hana spun something in her right hand, and something of a faint, azure color appeared. Without warning, Hana sliced through the tentacle with it. The Absorber roared in pain, as blue sparkles trailed off from its stump, and the cut part dissipated. Hana then spun her weapon around, like a dancer playing with her staff. She then pointed her weapon at the zombie.

"Hmm," she remarked. "This is good."

Hana gazed at her own weapon. The makeshift polearm she made turned into a naginata, with a cyan pole that is patterned to look like a real bamboo. The bright azure blade at the end looked like a sky-blue-colored katana, except covered in emerald-green engravings that looked like flower patterns. Even the dull side of the blade had leaf-like markings. The whole weapon looked like a katana on a pole, designed to be used in a floral display.

Hana spun it around. As she did, vines suddenly twisted around the pole.

"Wow," Hana remarked, gazing dreamily at her weapon. "Being Chosen is...exhilarating."

 _Slash!_

Hana blinked, as a golden flash of light cut off another tentacle, which was about to strike her head. Miho turned around, grinning as her chainsaw whirled and buzzed, the cut tentacle wiggling nearby.

Suddenly, she collapsed.

"Miho!" both girls screamed, as they helped out their friend. Saori pulled her up on the left shoulder, while Hana helped her up on the right shoulder. Miho dropped the chainsaw, which still whirled and buzzed on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Absorber growled in pain, refraining from attacking, in order to focus on regenerating its lost tentacles. Its cold, empty eyes stared at the girls, analyzing them.

"Sorry," Miho giggled. "Guess I still am trying to help."

Saori shook her head.

"You really need to sit down," she said to Miho. "And regain your strength."

Saori and Hana both put Miho down on the floor. Saori waved her fans in her face, hoping to cool her down. The embers flew into Miho's face; with each fanning, she felt a tiny portion of her strength returning to her body.

"Saori...the embers," Miho said in an exhausted manner. "They're...healing me."

Hearing this, Hana got an idea, and touched Miho's right side with the pole of her naginata. Immediately, some of the vines snaked from the pole to Miho's side, wrapping around the upper part of her torso, a cute magenta tulip blooming from one of the wrapped vines. Miho felt even more of her strength returning, and Hana looked extremely satisfied with how her idea turned out.

Noticing the healing process, the Absorber whipped three of its tentacles at the girls with inhuman speed.

Miho, being a veteran Chosen by now, sensed the Absorber's killing intent, and pushed the girls away from her and managed to raise her sword just in time to block the three strikes. But the force was too much to be handled in her weakened state, and she got thrown backwards like a ragdoll...again.

"Miho!" both Hana and Saori cried out in alarm, but Miho just sat up on the ground, grabbing her head with her left hand.

"Ouch," she groaned. Noticing the vines were still wrapped around her and healing her, she turned and shouted to the girls.

"I am fine, don't worry about me!" she said, getting up. "Just try to fend off the tentacles until I heal fully!"

"B-But Miporin-" Saori tried to argue, but sensing something approaching her fast, she dived to the ground, and mere moments later, a tentacle passed over her head, the air whooshing around it, due to its speed. Standing up, she found herself aware of everyone's and everything's position, Miho, Hana, and even the zombie's tentacles.

"Man, this is so weird," she murmured, as she sensed another tentacle trying to strike her from above. Swinging her fan at the incoming tentacle, a wave of fire formed behind the swinging fan, before shooting outwards and towards the tentacle, burning it to cinders.

"Wow!" Saori exclaimed in awe, looking at the war fans with glittering eyes. "Maybe I'll be able to attract boys with them!"

Unfortunately, Saori was focusing too much on her fans, oblivious to dangers around her.

"Saori, look out!" Hana shouted, seeing multiple tentacles whipping themselves towards her position. Aiming her naginata in the ground in front of her friend, the blade started to glow green. Swinging it upwards, a mass of thick, thorny vines shot upwards in front of Saori, forming a wall to protect her. It blocked two of the tentacles, but the rest managed to break through, hitting Saori square in the chest.

"Aaaaaaaaa!" Saori screamed in shock, as she flew through the air, like a baseball hit by a bat. Hitting the ground, she rolled for a few meters, before stopping. Standing up, she dusted herself off. unfazed by the blow.

"Huh, that hurt less than expected," she said, surprised. "And my clothes are still fine."

Noticing a tentacle in front of her, she hastily swung her right fan to strike the tentacle, and managed to cut the tentacle. The cut part fell to the ground, flailing for a bit, before disappearing in a cloud of vermilion dust.

"These fans can be used to cut things?!" she asked incredulously, while dodging another tentacle, thanks to her heightened senses and reflexes.

While Saori tried to dodge strike after strike, Hana found herself in a precarious position, most specifically, in the middle of a tentacle barrage. She parried blow after blow, as each tentacle tried to strike her.

"Give up, Chosen One," the zombie hissed. "Sooner or later you will get tired, and then I will crush you!"

"I shall never give up!" Hana declared, as she used her naginata to slice one of the tentacles into two pieces, which dissipated into blue dust. "As long as there is someone to protect, I won't lay my weapon down!"

Raising her weapon and using its pole to parry another strike, she miscalculated how much strength she needed to apply, and got thrown off balance. Stumbling backwards and falling to the ground, the zombie used this chance and wrapped its foul appendages around Hana's delicate figure, bent on crushing her. It also tried to rip the weapon out of her grasp, but the vines around the pole suddenly became thorny, making it impossible for the tentacles to grab it. Hana struggled to free herself, feeling the grasp around her tightening alarmingly fast. She may not get crushed, since her Chosen body is several times stronger than that of a normal human, but she could suffocate, as her breathing turned to gasping.

"Hana!" Saori yelled and started running to her aid, only for a well-placed strike to send her flying over Hana and into a pile of debris a few meters away from her.

"You two are finished!" the Absorber roared, laughing malignantly. "I'll kill you and absorb your power, then kill your other friends and absorb them too!"

"We will not...let you hurt...anyone," Hana managed to say with a cracked voice. She could already feel her strength leaving her body, her extremities starting to numb.

A golden fireball hit the Absorber and exploded, causing it to roar in pain, retracting all of its tentacles near its main body. Hana, finally free from that hideous prison, started coughing, before taking deep breaths and filling her lungs with much needed oxygen.

"Hana, are you okay?" Hana heard a voice calling out, and looking on her left, she saw Miho kneeling besides her with a concerned expression. Her wounds were fully healed, as the vines were gone.

"Yes, I am fine," Hana said between her coughs, trying to stand up with the help of her naginata. Miho stood up and looked at Saori, who was already rising from the heap of debris she was thrown into.

"I real angry right now!" she screamed in broken English, shooting a deathly glare at the Absorber. Her war fans were literally on fire, as if reflecting her internal rage.

"How dare this thing hit me in the back!" she roared, as the flames on her fans grew larger and larger.

Closing the fans, the flames surrounding them start burning hotter and brighter.

"I'll teach you a lesson or two," she declared. "You slimy slammer!"

Spinning around herself once and striking a cool pose, she snapped the fans open and shouted:

"Fire Phoenix!"

Two huge, bird-shaped flames burst out of the fans, and flew towards the Absorber, hitting it and setting it ablaze. The zombie roared out in pain, as the fire rapidly burned through its flesh, although its enhanced regeneration mitigated the burns.

"It really worked," Saori commented, gawking. Regaining her composure, she covered the lower half of her face with one of the fans.

"You should have never messed with Ooarai's girls, humph!" she said in a mocking tone.

"Saori-chan," Miho said, sweating a little. "Did you say 'Fire Phoenix'? Isn't that from a video game you played?"

Saori blinked, then blushed, her face tomato-red. She covered her whole face with her fan, kneeling down in embarrassment.

"NO!" she groaned. "I played too many video games, just to understand boys! Now, I am acting like one!"

Miho tilted her head, confused.

"Like a boy?" Hana asked.

"She meant getting too much into games," Miho corrected her.

"You insolent fools!" the zombie roared, shaking itself, its tentacles flailing around. "I'll crush you to a bloody pulp!"

Booming, it pounded towards the girls with its tentacles. The girls evaded the strikes, and started their counterattack.

Miho mainly did the work of defending the girls from the strikes, as she had the best experience with blocking the attacks. Saori was trying to burn it more with her fiery missiles, while Hana was trying to entangle it with her vines.

However, the battle dragged on and on. As they continued, the zombie continued to regrow its tentacles, while the girls started to feel tired.

"I don't think...we can keep going...for much longer...Miporin," Saori said while panting heavily. "I am...reaching...my limit!"

"We need...to end this...now," Hana moaned, slicing multiple tentacles again and again.

Miho nodded, and took a moment to analyze their situation. First, they still had the energy to fight, but were starting to get tired. Second, the Absorber had an amazing healing factor, regenerating itself quite rapidly, even with the burns. Last but not least, the Absorber was putting up a good fight.

Thinking quickly as she dodged more attacks, Miho realized that in order to destroy this abomination once and for all, they had to hit it with one single hit, one that would finally end its healing power, and killing it for good.

Suddenly, her eyes caught something: Miho noted that the zombie was wincing greatly around the eyes. Looking closely at the hideous eyes, Miho realized that the burns around the eyes were not healing.

"That's it!" she exclaimed loudly, as a plan instantly hatched in her mind. "The burns around the eyes!"

"Eh?" Saori asked.

"Hana-chan! Saori-chan!" Miho yelled. "Close your eyes!"

They complied, as Miho raised her chainsaw high in the air. The blade whirled and buzzed, as a golden glow started to appear at the tip. With each passing second, the glow started to grow brighter and brighter; in response, the chainsaw's blade started to spin faster, and buzz louder. The glow then grew into a pillar of golden light, shooting upwards into the sky.

Noticing the light, the Absorber turned to stare up at the pillar, its grotesque eyes analyzing it.

"Strange," it mumbled. "It does not feel that strong, though..."

It then readied its tentacles, trying to strike her. Hearing its comment, Miho smiled.

"It's not," she replied.

Grunting audibly, Miho swung her sword into the ground, but instead of a huge explosion or a devastating attack, a bright flash occurred, brighter than the sun itself.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!" it shrieked in pain and agony, flailing its tentacles all around it, pounding the ground in an effort to crush those puny humans that dared to resist it. The impact's light blinded the monster, as its eyes were focused on the pillar.

"Hana-chan!" Miho yelled. "Use your remaining power to restrain it!"

"On it!" Hana responded back. Spotting a still-standing, five-story building behind the Absorber, Hana effortlessly jumped on the rooftop, though her landing could be better, almost falling to the ground from the momentum of her jump.

"How can Miho perform these feats so easily?" she muttered to herself, as she stood at the edge of the building, looking directly downwards at the zombie. Focusing on her weapon, the blade of her naginata started to glow bright green. Twirling it a few times above her head, a group of thick, thorny vines started to appear from the ground all around the Absorber, rising in the air like serpents. Swinging her spear downwards and pointing it at her target, the vines shot upwards and arced through the air, before piercing the Absorber, which roared in pain once more, still blinded by Miho's flash.

As it tried to flail around, with the vines tightly around the zombie, as it tried to free itself, Miho nodded to Saori, who came to her side.

"Saori-chan," Miho ordered her. "Set the vines on fire!"

"Got it!" she answered, and snapped her fans open. Two balls of fire flew into the vines, setting the whole mass of vegetation on fire.

The Absorber screamed in agony, as the combination of vine thorns and flames tore into its flesh. As it tried to regenerate, the vines ripped into its flesh, while the flames burned through, preventing the flesh from healing properly.

"I am gonna kill you all!" it roared, raging. However, the zombie's fleshy mass started to blacken, as the tentacles started to fall off, even without being cut. However, Miho noticed something else...

The zombie's body did turn black, then changed to blood-red. Its eyes suddenly blackened, and Miho realized with a gasp:

It was entering a frenzied stage.

Seeing this, Miho dashed towards the zombie, but stopped about four meters away from it. Raising her sword above her head, its blade started to grow, reaching a length of four meters and a width of one meter in mere moments.

"Miporin, what are you doing?!" Saori shouted in alarm.

"Both of you, stay away!" Miho shouted back. Her blade started glowing once more, as she kept charging her weapon, though this time, the blade started feeling warm, even serene. To Miho, it felt almost...divine.

Setting its sight on Miho, the zombie's black eyes started to redden with sickly veins, and the zombie roared. It suddenly broke free from its prison, throwing chunks of burning, thorny vines everywhere.

"You...you...I'm gonna tear you apart!" it screeched at Miho and shot all of its tentacles at the brown-haired girl, bent on leaving nothing of her behind.

Having poured enough power into her blade, the sword became one bright golden blade, with bright magenta edges. Grunting, Miho swung her sword downwards with all her might, the blade effortlessly cutting through the Absorber like a hot knife through butter. A fraction of a second later, a pillar of golden energy shot towards the sky from the blade's impact point, throwing chunks of tentacles and the Absorber's body everywhere. One of them almost hit Miho in the face, but she just tilted her head left to avoid it.

Seconds passed, as the light ebbed away, all was quiet. The only audible sound was Miho's own panting.

Both Saori and Hana approached Miho, looking at the remains of the Absorber and at Miho in awe.

"That was awesome..." Saori said with her mouth wide open, looking around at the golden dust that started falling from the sky. Hana quietly nodded, looking at the falling dust too.

The golden dust looked like beautiful rain, drizzling the ground with beautiful blessings. Miho breathed, and sighed in relief.

"Hahaha... Ahahaha!" all three girls heard a voice laughing. Looking down, they beheld the singe, freakish eye of the Absorber still intact, surrounded by a bit of grisly flesh.

The girls gawked at it. How it was able to talk or even think after all that damage...was a mystery that the girls could not fathom.

"You can't kill me!" it roared. "You can slash and hack and smash all you wan! I'll always regenerate back!"

The eye cackled madly, blinking quickly.

"No one has defeated me still," it declared. "I am immortal!"

"Then..." Miho started saying, gazing at the black eye with a dark expression. "We just have to make sure nothing remains of you."

The Absorber said nothing at first, looking all around it. Nothing remained of its body, except for this lone, grotesque eye.

"Uh..." it gasped, the revelation dawning on. "Wait, I feel...nothing else..."

"Then why don't you kill it, Miho?" Saori asked curiously, seeing her friend had lowered her weapon.

"Since this is your first time being Chosen," said Miho, smiling. "I think it is only fitting you claim your first kill after such a hard battle."

"If Miho-san says so," said Hana. "But then, who will claim the kill?"

"You can have it, Hana," Saori said.

"Are you sure?" Hana asked back.

"Yeah, I just want this thing to disappear already," Saori reassured her friend.

"If you say so," Miho said. "Saori, can you set this eye on fire?"

Hearing this, the Absorber started feeling a twinge of fear welling up. Since it was a mass of tentacles, it still needed a point for everything to connect, a core of sorts that acted as the main body. And in this case, all that remained...was the eye.

"E-Even if you set me on fire," it tried to roar, but it sounded more like stuttering. "I-I can still regenerate faster than getting burned, so it doesn't matter what you do!"

The zombie tried to dissuade the girls, who just ignored it.

"OK," Saori casually said, and opening one of the fans, while looking at the eye. "Burn."

The eye suddenly caught fire, and it shrieked in pain.

"Hana, if you may," Miho said and Hana stepped in front of the eye, pointing the naginata at it. Her weapon's blade glowed, especially the flower-patterned engravings, which turned into white sparkles, like stars in the blue sky.

"No!" it roared. "I may fall, but the Blight! The Blight will chase you, and then your suffering will be endle-"

It got cut off, as Hana thrust her blade into the eye. In its place, a single white rose stood, as the azure dust fell around it.

The girls stood still, making sure that all was well.

Then, they sighed in relief.

"Wow!" Saori blurted out, kneeling on the floor and fanning herself on impulse. "That was crazy!"

Hana calmly jumped down, and joined Miho. Saori also came down afterwards.

"So," Saori said. "What next?"

Miho thought, then gasped.

"Our friends!"

The others stared at each other, then ran to where they last saw them.

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **9:30 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Did something happen?"

Mako shook furiously, kneeling down as Yukari tried to remove the debris at the entrance. Previously, they tried to find an exit, only to back away when the only other way out was blocked by a horde of zombies. It would be death trap if they opened the other exit, so had to resort to trying to dig their way through the open entrance.

"Ouch!" Yukari cried, as she sucked on her right thumb, bleeding from a stray nail. "Not another nail again."

Mako, however, was hyperventilating a little, trying to calm down.

"OK-OK," she gasped. "W-why do zombies talk? And-and why can't we just de-destroy them? B-but what's up with this a-a-pocalypse?!"

"Mako-chan?"

She looked up. Yukari stared at her, concern etched all over her face.

"So...so-sorry," Mako breathed, gasping for breath. "Panic attack, I guess."

"You don't need to apologize," Yukari said, sitting down with her. "I...I hope you're OK."

"Th-thanks," Mako breathed carefully. "Ha...ha...ah."

Yukari and Mako both stayed silent, as a few zombies moaned audibly outside. The two dark-haired girls breathed in and out audibly. A lone zombie, sensing the two girls, tried to dig its way into the wall of debris. Hands after hands scratched at the debris.

Despite that, the girls sighed, as they stayed inside, as quiet as possible. There were now only two sounds: the sound of two, living humans breathing, and the sound of digging from the lone zombie, which somehow stopped moaning.

"It's as if," Mako suddenly broke the silence. "The zombie is smart enough to avoid giving away its presence."

"Although," Yukari added. "Admittedly, it's not exactly doing a good job."

The two girls sighed again, but made no effort to keep the conversation going.

"I honestly wish I am out of here," Mako uttered. "My grandma...my future..."

Mako lowered her head down even further, then cried.

"I am afraid of being...weak," she gasped, crying. "I am afraid of...being alone."

Yukari let her cry into her left shoulder, as Yukari meditated on the situation.

She then joined her, crying into Mako's long, silky hair.

"Me...too," she admitted.

The zombie, hearing the cries, sped its digging effort, hoping to get the girls inside.

For what appeared like minutes after minutes, the girls finally stayed still, letting the mood settle. After crying, the girls felt better, and let the silence calm them.

It felt like minutes were dragging by, and the zombie momentarily stopped digging. Apparently, the zombie pondered whether the girls were even alive.

Mako audibly sighed, causing the zombie to dig faster.

"You know," Mako said. "This is a great place to die."

"A pretty one too," she added quickly, but before Yukari could object, she added one more thing. "Though I don't plan to leave my last breath here."

"Unless," she added, before Yukari could object, her face visibly shocked. "You give up on life."

She breathed, in and out, as Yukari sighed in relief. The two reminisced on their situation...

Mako remembered her time when her parents were still alive, and regretted arguing at them, since they were in a car accident before she could apologize...

Yukari remembered her time when she had no friends, due to her unusual obsession with tanks, which alienated her from her peers in her younger years...

Both girls sighed again in unison.

Suddenly, a hole appeared, as an undead hand was trying to dig through.

Yukari got up.

"Ready for this?" she asked, grinning at Mako. "Let's survive this, for the sake of Miho, our school, and the future of the whole world."

"You sound so optimistic," Mako grunted, but gave a small, rare smile.

She got up, and took up a pole and a knife, wrapping them together with a rope and a tape. She waved her makeshift spear. Yukari took out two of her survival knives.

"Let's get through this," Mako said. "I think that's what Miho-dono will say."

"Miho-dono," Yukari snickered. "You sure admire her, don't you?"

"She's the main reason why I decide to be alive," Mako admitted. "Why not live for her?"

"Maybe even be Chosen for her!" Yukari replied.

"Maybe," Mako said. "You know, I am starting to feel less lazy, after all."

The two nodded at each other, and then readied their weapons as the zombie managed to dig a hole large enough to poke its head.

"You are...dead," the zombie moaned.

"Nope," Yukari said. "You are."

The zombie suddenly twitched, then its head fell down. Mako shuddered, but stood her ground, as a golden flash of light appeared from behind.

"She's back!" Yukari yelled out loud, jumping up and down for joy.

"Thank whoever sent them," Mako said rhetorically, smiling. "God or gods, thank you."

Suddenly, they blinked as they saw a bright red light and a blue one behind.

"Stand back!" Miho's voice echoed from behind.

The girls complied, as a burst of golden light enveloped the wall. The girls hid behind a small wall of debris, thinking that it would explode. To their surprise, they heard no explosion, and peeked. They gasped, as a snake-like stream of blue light wrapped around the golden-colored wall, while a small wall of fire literally melted the wall from the top. After the wall dissipated, Yukari and Mako both went out to reunite with their friends.

Both gasped.

"Saori," Mako gasped, gawking.

"You too?" Yukari gawked.

Miho, Saori, and Hana all stood, their weapons in hand.

"Hello!" Saori said.

"Well..." Miho giggled. "I wonder how we'll explain this..."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **10:00 AM; July 11, 20XX**

"Man," Yukari admitted. "That must have been rough."

"At least we survived," Saori said, as she waved at Yukari's wounds with her fans. The ember-like sparks glittered, as they landed upon Yukari like snow. Yukari sighed, feeling a warming touch, as the embers not only closed up her wounds; they also healed them thoroughly, so that no scar remained.

Yukari stood up, checking her skin.

"Perfect!" she uttered, amazed. "Wow, you must be the healer of our group!"

"No-no," Saori replied. "It looks like all Chosen Ones can heal."

"But it must have been bad," Mako admitted, her voice clearly disturbed. "That you two lost a leg, then became Chosen. Apparently, you two chose to defend Miho to near-death, and that met the requirements."

"Requirements?" Saori asked.

"How you become Chosen, really?" Mako asked, her voice deadpan.

"Oh!" Saori said, slapping herself. "Yes, to be Chosen, you have to do something good and be desperate or something!"

"And we both fulfilled that," Hana said, gazing at her naginata again. She then stepped back and forth, dancing around with her weapon. As she swung her blade, plants started to bloom in the background.

"Ah..." she replied. "What a nice feeling."

The girls stared at her, with Miho sweating a little.

Miho cleared her throat, alerting the others to her.

"Girls," Miho declared. "Not that three of us are Chosen, we better get going from this place."

She eyed a horde coming through.

"Three of us are Chosen," said Miho, as she and others packed up their belongings. "But two of us are not, so let's get going."

The others nodded, and packed up everything that they needed, plus loots from the store that they were in. Despite Yukari's insistence, Miho and her Chosen friends carried all of the goods, since they had superhuman strength.

"Odd," said Saori, fixing her bag. "This much would strain my back. Now, they feel like a feather."

"Let's go," Miho replied, wielding her sword. "Then, we'll plan what to do next."

"What about us?" Yukari asked.

"Piggyback ride," Mako said, immediately jumping on Saori's back.

"Mako!" she groaned. "Yes, I am Chosen and all, but really?"

Hana looked at Saori, then knelt down to let Yukari get on her back, which held at least one large duffel bag.

Yukari looked, then at Miho, and then went up on Hana's back.

"OK," Miho said. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; July 11, 20XX**

"OK," Yukari said, sitting comfortably on a sofa. "What should we do?"

Yukari and Mako both sat on a set of furniture, located on top of a ceiling. Apparently, that floor belonged to a well-off family, because of the fancy nature of the ceiling's furniture set. Sofas, beach chairs, and canvas roofs dotted the floor; tables had entire bowls of fruits, with some of them still fresh. Yukari and Mako were munching on apples, as they rested. In fact, as soon as the girls landed here, Yukari and Mako both crashed into a deep nap. They just woke up, and realized that they missed much of the training regime.

Still, that did not matter.

"So," Mako said in her usual deadpan voice. "They're now in the last phase of their training."

 _Boom!_

"You know," Mako continued. "When Miho commanded us to rest, that was unusual."

 _Boom!_

"Yup," Yukari said.

 _Boom!_

"So," began Mako.

 _Boom!_

"What should we do?" she finished.

 _Boom!_

"Doing what Nishizumi-dono," began Yukari.

 _Boom, boom, bang!_

"Told us to do," she finished. "Just resting, which we just did."

Yukari and Mako, still normal girls, were taking their time to rest, since they were fatigued from all that survival journey. By contrast, their Chosen friends were as strong as Chosen Ones could be.

However, Miho decided to do the one thing that the two were exempt from.

"Girls!" Miho commanded. "Push forward!"

Saori's audible groans echoed in the distance.

"Brutal training," Mako deadpanned. "Nishizumi style."

The two watched, as their Chosen friends were doing a practice match. Miho, Saori, and Hana were all training against each other; in the distance, where Yukari and Mako could watch, the three girls were training at an already-ruined section of the city. Apparently, some aircraft bombed that area, although the efforts were obviously futile. Now, zombies roamed en masse at that particular area, and the girls were using that place as a training field.

Flashes of light went back and forth, mostly azure and vermilion. Apparently, right now, Miho was teaching them to subdue the lighting, in order to minimize detection. Sure enough, a Reaper drone flew by, with a distinct ankh sign on it.

Yukari and Mako immediately ducked under their sofa, peeking out. Noticing nothing, the drone turned around, exposing a blind spot as all of its cameras onboard focused on going back to its mysterious destination.

A strange golden light struck it, but it did not explode. It kept flying, far away enough so that Yukari and Mako both went out of hiding, and returned back to sitting on the furniture, munching on more fruits as usual.

The drone, however, after flying for 10 miles, suddenly exploded. Yukari whistled.

"That's Miho," Mako said, munching on a ripe banana. "She let the drone fly for a while, in order to fool the drone."

"Then," said Yukari, chewing on a pear, but making a face at its mushy flesh. "Exploding it far away to minimize detection."

She walked to a trash bin, spitting into it as the girls recommenced their training. Saori swung her fans around like a sword dancer, trying to blow Miho away with her fiery attacks. However, Miho easily dodged that, and revved up the engine on her blade.

Suddenly, vines wrapped around her legs, as Hana tried to make an ambush on her, swinging her naginata like a magic wand. However, Miho already anticipated the attack, and quickly slashed at the vines, and leaped away.

"This is getting boring," Mako blurted out. "Saori and Hana are both essentially using the same attacks over and over again, but tweaking them a little."

"Tweaking," Yukari mused. "Making small adjustments, right?"

"Yes," Mako replied, as Saori and Hana decided to both work together. "But Miho is so much better at fighting."

The girls continued to watch, as the trio was essentially a one-sided battle. Although Saori and Hana both tried to combine their powers, Miho easily anticipated their attacks. Again and again, Miho dodged each attack, and then forced the girls into a melee fight. Here, Miho clearly dominated.

When Saori parried a blow from the chainsaw, Miho let it go and punched Saori in the face, sending her flying in the distance, and crashing into the rooftop of a building. Cowering in pain, Saori tried to get up from where she landed.

"Ouch!" she screamed.

Using this chance, Hana tried to snipe her from a distance, turning a bamboo from a nearby pot into a long, sharp javelin. She then fired, and the long missile aimed at Miho's back.

Suddenly, without turning to look, Miho just...slapped the missile away, causing it to fly away and shatter. Hana sweated and flinched a little.

"She's good," said Mako, as Miho suddenly leaped at Hana. Hana then parried another blow, and once again, Miho released her grip and knocked her down with one punch.

This type of brutal training went on and on, until Miho stood still, keeping her chainsaw still and steady, like a real military commander. By contrast, Saori knelt down, panting hard. Hana was not much better; she leaned precariously on on her naginata like a cane, gasping for breath. All three were together, now located on top of an empty ceiling of a five-story building.

"Miho is so cool," Yukari stared in awe, looking through her binoculars.

"She is," Mako said in her usual nonchalant voice, although her face betrayed her admiration. "Despite the boring repetition, Miho knew how to train."

"Mi-Mi-Miporin!" Saori panted. "Can we...can we finish for the day?!"

Miho said nothing, but went up and pulled her up. She analyzed her ginger-haired friend with an intense eye, as if observing a piece of artwork.

She nodded, and let her collapse in relief.

"You are good," Saori said. "You've finally grown 40 cm, which means you're good."

"So..." Hana gasped. "That...is why...you trained us...so hard."

"In order to activate you all fully," Miho said. "Ever since you all pointed out me being tall, I decided that we'll train until our powers activated well enough. Sure enough, you two did well."

"But!" Saori gasped. "You trained us like we're in the apocalypse!"

"Are we not in one?" Hana asked, panting still. "So, this is the way of the Kuromorimine."

She hiccuped, and finally knelt down to breathe.

"They look so bad," Yukari remarked.

"Of course," Mako said, shivering. "Look at what Miho did. I thought that Miho was going to just train them, just as we saw people do in military films. Instead, Miho put them to fight against zombies..."

They looked, as the girls continued to take down zombies, all the while fighting against Miho.

"...and Nishizumi-dono," said Yukari. "At the same time."

Mako shivered.

"Is that how Nishizumis train?" Yukari asked. "And if we become Chosen...will we have to train like that?"

The second question caused both girls to shiver badly.

"Not going to think about that," Mako said plainly, taking an orange and peeling it.

The sweet aroma filled her nostrils, as she sighed in relief. She then peeled the fleshes, and ate them gradually. Seeing her, Yukari followed suit, as she took out another apple from a bowl, checked it, and bit it.

"Say," Yukari said. "Do you have your notebook?"

Mako stared at her, then slowly searched her pockets. She sighed visibly, once she pulled it out. Immediately, she jot down everything she wrote, her hands working furiously to write down as much as possible.

"Man," Yukari said, whistling. "Your writing is fast."

"For research purposes," she mumbled back, focusing. "Of course."

"Girls!" Miho said, as she and her two friends leaped back to the girls. While Miho appeared as healthy as usual, Saori and Hana both were still panting from the training regime. Mako silently patted Saori on the back.

"Are we going?" Yukari asked, getting ready.

"Yes!" Saori cried, raising her hands enthusiastically, although she wobbled a little. "We are!"

"Then," said Mako. "Why not?"

The girls repacked their belongings, then jumped down, with Yukari and Mako on piggyback as usual. The girls then leaped around the place, surveying the surroundings for any place to loot.

"There!" Miho pointed out, jumping towards a convenience store. The girls followed suit, landing on top of the building. Looking down, Miho signaled to Hana, who dropped her goods and Yukari down to follow. Saori dropped her stuff and Mako, and went on the lookout, while Yukari and Mako watched from the safety of the ceiling.

"A lot of looting we're doing," Yukari admitted. "If this was NOT the apocalypse, this would be stealing."

"Good thing it's not," said Mako, watching the streets.

The streets were vacant, except for the stranded vehicles around. No living human was in sight, as small groups of zombies patrolled by. Occasional flashes of golden and azure light blazed, as their two friends were easily obliterating the foes inside.

Meanwhile, Saori was practicing with her fans, trying to strike some poses.

"Saori-chan," Mako deadpanned. "This is real life, not video game."

She pouted, her face glowing redder by the second.

"Anyway," Yukari said, taking out her binoculars to look around. "I haven't seen those Reaper drones, or the PAMC, or even the US government, for a while."

Overhearing this, Saori leaped back to their temporary base, joining Yukari and Mako.

"You're right!" Saori blurted out. "We haven't seen any in a while. This feels...creepy."

"You're creepy, too," Mako said, looking up at her.

Apparently, all that use of Chosen energy stimulated the girls to grow up very fast. Miho was 198 cm tall by now, and her Chosen friends recently grew up. Mako was amazed at the rate at which the girls grew; Mako looked up to her friend, calculating that she was 197 cm tall.

"Boy," she grunted. "How tall will I be? 185 cm?"

Miho and Hana both came up, with goods in hand. Yukari and Saori joined them, while Mako took out her pocket notebook to jot down more notes. She looked up, noting that Hana was a colossal 203 cm tall.

"Now that I think about it," Mako reminisced. "Miho's sister was the same height as Hana. This means that she's also 203 cm tall. No wonder they're so tall...and strong."

Mako watched her friends to the hard work of organizing the goods, with Yukari struggling to keep up with the girls' speed.

Suddenly, Mako glimpsed something, and she squinted her eyes at Miho.

"Wait," she uttered. "Miho? Miho!"

Miho looked up, and so did the others.

"Eh?" she asked.

"What's one another attribute of being Chosen?" Mako asked rhetorically, her face paling a little.

"Umm..." Miho tried to think. "Taller and stronger?"

"And a visible sign?" Mako asked, pointing unsteadily at her own forehead.

"Why are you pointing at your forehead?" asked Saori.

"Look at yours," Mako stuttered. "Miho."

The others then looked at her, and gasped.

"Girls?" Miho asked innocently. "Are you all...alright?"

"Look in a mirror," was all Hana said, although her voice belied her awe and...fear.

Miho then jumped down, in order to visit a restroom inside the store they looted. Marching through, as Saori jumped down to accompany her, Miho went inside and turned on the switch. She looked at the mirror, and gawked.

A symbol appeared on her forehead. It was golden, but light magenta lines lined the symbol on the outside.

"It's..." she began, but stopped as they heard a distinct sound in the distance.

An earthquake started to shake. On impulse, she and Saori rushed up to their friends, who all packed up immediately. Yukari and Mako both piggybacked, as they and their Chosen friends jumped away from their temporary base on the rooftop. The grounds started to shake once more, and the girls felt more shockwaves throughout.

"Here comes the Orb," Miho said, as they leaped in the direction of the epicenter. "Let's go."

* * *

 **I hope that this went well enough.**

 **Please review etc. as usual.**

 **Thank you!**

 **I give a HUGE shout-out to aGuestfromGreece45 for that LONG but EPIC battle sequence.**


	24. Chapter 24: Trials of Hope

**Alright! I am off with a new chapter!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has been faithful in reviewing my story; I hope that this will be a valuable memory to remember!**

 **So, here we go...**

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 24: Trials of Hope**

* * *

 **Somewhere in the western part of a forest...**

 **Miles away from Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **7:30 AM; July 14, 20XX**

"Where are we again?" she asked, flapping her fans.

Mako looked around, checking out the map.

"Saori-chan," Mako groaned. "Use your brain for once. You guys should be smarter now."

"Eh?" she asked, aghast. "How-how come?"

"Like how you got creative with your way of awaking me up?" Mako groaned, stretching. "Man, I cannot believe you did that!"

They were in a national forest, sort of like a national park. Trees towered over plains and hills, rolling through as the distant fog clouded up the mountains above. Birds chirped around, and the echoes of waterfalls soothed the environment all around.

She and Saori were on top of a mesa, or something like a flat-topped hill, overlooking a gorge, filled with waterfalls crashing down. An eagle soared above the gorge, croaking as it flew through.

Mako looked around, and sighed.

"It feels so calming," she said to herself. "Anyway, this is the Los Padres National Forest, which we have to cross in order to go to Santa Maria, California. Then, it's on to San Francisco."

"Why are you being rude?" Saori groaned.

"You almost burned me there," Mako grunted. "Plus, using my Grandmother's ringtone of saying 'Fire'? Man, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

* * *

 _"Mako! Wake up!"_

 _"Sleep..."_

 _"Mako!"_

 _"I am not..."_

 _"Uh-huh. I am going to use your Grandma's ringtone."_

 _"Heh. I got used to it."_

 _"Not just any ringtone..."_

 _"FIRE!"_

 _"Ahhhhh!"_

* * *

Saori rolled her eyes, but let Mako check the map, as she herself continued to wave her fans around, controlling the flames on the campfires. Ten campfires dotted their temporary base, with a variety of pots, pans, and other cooking containers upon special stands to keep them at a safe distance.

Yes, they made TEN of these, just for food.

Chosen Ones, as Mako noted, had a larger dietary need, and needed to eat a lot, especially Hana, who already had a big appetite to begin with...

"I just eat the normal amount," Hana replied, kneeling nicely on a gilded carpet, looted from a local store. The golden edges stood out of the azure background.

Saori and Mako both looked up and stared at her, gawking at her comment. No matter how many times they heard her say it, they could not believe it.

"Hana..." Saori groaned. "You're starting to remind me of Mako."

Hana blinked, then looked down at her portions. An average girl of her size should eat about a platter of food, and that much should be enough, but for Hana...

"Isn't this normal?" she asked, holding out her now-empty plate, apparently wanting more.

Saori rolled her eyes, and then went to check out one of the ten campfires they made.

"Based on my calculations," Mako said. "An average hungry person will eat two plates, a Chosen One will eat five, maybe more, but you Hana..."

Mako trailed off, counting how many empty plates there were.

"...ate 12," Saori finished, using one of her fans as a knife, cutting off a whole pound of venison steak. "Good thing there are plenty of game animals here..."

She shivered, as she waved her fans, burning flies with her fiery power. Next to the campfires, a pile of deer carcasses sat on top of a mattress, with a small wall of fire glowing around it. Saori proudly created that, which deterred ants and other animals from coming close. Still...

"Man," Saori admitted. "I don't mind eating meat, but hunting animals is...unnerving."

"What?" Mako asked with a deapan voice. "You turning into a vegetarian or something?"

"N-no!" she blabbered. "I-I mean...the deer look so much like Bambi!"

"Which is why Miho and Yukari both helped to cut the animals," said Mako. "So that they looked less like ANIMALS, and more like MEAT."

Saori sighed.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Good thing, because I can cook these like real steak."

"And Hana," Mako said, staring at her portions with an even more deadpan voice. "How many steaks did you eat again?"

Hana did not reply back, since she was chewing on her last piece of steak. She swallowed, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and breathed.

"That is my 20th piece of steak," she answered. "And that is amazing steak. I have rarely eaten venison, especially back in Japan."

"Yeah..." both girls stared at Hana's colossal dietary needs.

"So!" Saori said, trying to change the topic. "What's our plan, again? I know that we're looking for that Orb or LMO thing or something. Miporin definitely can sense it, in ways we cannot expect!"

"Well, for now," Mako said. "We're just resting, and I need to become Chosen to help you all..."

"Mako!" Saori said, playfully wrestling with her. "If you do, make sure you fix your sleep habits!"

"Not gonna happen," was the reply, and Saori pouted and wrestled her more harshly, while careful not to hurt her.

"So yes," Hana said, ignoring the commotion to consume her whole steak of venison. "Where are Miho-san and Yukari-san again?"

"They're out hunting," said Saori. "And training."

They all sighed in relief.

"Man," Mako admitted. "That WAS a close call..."

"No matter how much I think about it," said Saori. "That was one crazy comeback..."

* * *

 **Two days ago...**

 **Red-Green Zone #3**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **3:00 PM; July 11, 20XX**

"They escaped, huh?"

General Henry North growled in his office, a single lightbulb hanging precariously over the stone-cold floor. It did not help that it was a former prison office, but that did not matter. North stood over his desk, the paperwork on it.

He scoured the paperwork again and again, piecing together the details, what little he knew, or if anyone even wanted to say.

Suddenly, he punched his desk, slamming into the face of a girl, the only picture taken by a security camera.

A face of a girl with light brown eyes and hair watched, her eyes as calm as they were nice. The eyes of a girl, but one with something more...

"She came as Michelle, right?" he growled.

"Y-yes," a sergeant stuttered, trembling.

"Thank you," he hissed. "Now, be off."

The sergeant saluted, then marched a little faster than usual. He then walked through rows of security personnel, and went outside. Once he was out, he went over to a local bar, and collapsed.

"Seriously?!" he moaned. "I cannot believe he did that!"

"Don't say it too loudly," the female bartender whispered, giving him a cup of wine. "You know what happened to poor Rebecca Nurse, right? We have not heard from her, not even from the prison guards!"

"An implied 'MIA' of sort," the sergeant sighed. "Now, I am in charge of rounding up everyone with connections with her, even for a passing conversation! Man, what's up with this?"

"To make matters worse," she began. "I heard that a few-"

"MAKE WAAAAYYY!"

A huge roar echoed, as the bartender and the sergeant looked. People went out of the way, as an armored jeep came crashing by. Five people were cramped inside of the front, faces of desperation on their faces, except for the driver.

The sergeant glimpsed him, and gasped.

"Private David King?!" he uttered, just as the jeep passed by him, and crashed through one of the gates. Fortunately at that time, the gates were just about to close, so that most of the locks were not in, allowing the jeep to simply smash through. Both the gates and the jeep suffered minimal damage, as the jeep launched out into the real world. Troopers on top of the gates and walls fired down upon the runaway jeep, although its armor shrugged off the bullets.

"What happened there?" he gasped, running back to the General's office.

"Sergeant!" North's booming voice roared. He came out of the office building, blocking the entrance with his robust, dominating body.

"I saw David King, sir!" the sergeant saluted. "He went through that gate entrance! And escaped on a combat jeep with four other people!"

"He did WHAT?!" the general boomed, marching through and knocking away a mother and her three children; one of them was on the ground crying in pain.

"So," he growled, analyzing the damage. "He was one of those who knew them..."

"What happened, sir?" the sergeant asked.

"Come with me..." he hissed, sending shivers down the sergeant's back, who obeyed nonetheless.

* * *

"So," North said, back in his office. "You have known him for a while, but he did not tell you everything."

"No sir," the sergeant replied, sweating as he sat in an old, hard, wooden chair.

General North just calmly scoured his papers again, his thick, scarred index finger pointing at various words and pictures.

"Sergeant Garrison," North replied. "You are among the very few whom I trust here, and while I believe that everybody else is hiding from me, you are very intent on telling me...the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

The last words sent shivers down Garrison's spine.

"Yes," he replied, nodding. "I was a lawyer once, so I know the integrity of being honest."

"So tell me," North said, giving him a paper poster. "Garrison, who is this?"

He looked. The face of a girl with light brown eyes and hair watched him; for some reason, her eyes were so...kind.

"Who is this girl?" Garrison asked. "I don't recognize her."

"Who were inside of the jeep?" North asked.

"Let me think..." Garrison said, scratching his head. "Wait a minute...I saw David King, Dave Burns, and Ryan in there."

"They were all three privates," said North. "Who were in contact with this Michelle-girl, and fled in order to avoid interrogations."

Although he hid it, Garrison internally gulped. He totally understood why those three left; they would have undergone the infamous "enhanced interrogation techniques," done by the US military in Iraq years ago.

"And I remember," Garrison said. "Seeing two women inside."

"I knew it," North hissed, slamming his fist again on the desk. "All five of them knew about this Michelle-girl, whose real name I want to know. Phoebe Peterson, Rebecca Nurse, and all three privates apparently knew her, and somehow assisted in helping her and her group to escape."

"Any evidence of their real identity?" Garrison asked.

"I don't know," he curtly replied. "And I don't care."

Garrison blinked.

"Except for this Michelle-girl," he began. "We better beef up our security and discipline again, and then call-"

"I am already here," a deep, booming voice echoed from behind.

Garrison and North both looked around, shivering for some reason. A towering man with an orange turban loomed over them, arms crossed.

"Hand me over the picture," he growled. "Of this girl."

The last words sent shivers down Garrison's spine.

"Agent Singh," North growled back, twitching a little. "This is none of your-"

"Under the authority of the US government," Singh replied. "And upon the signing of the President of the United States of America..."

He pulled out a document, clearly from the White House.

"...that you give me the picture," he finished.

North gawked, stunned. Growling, he slowly but angrily gave the picture to him. Singh then looked at it, nodding.

"She's the one," he replied, walking out. "I will find her, and bring her back."

"Who is she?" North asked, standing up. "You seem to know her as well!"

"That is none of your business," Singh said. "I am doing it under the direct order of the US President himself."

He closed the door, and North slumped back in his seat.

"Garrison," he replied.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Is...is he lying?" North asked, trembling.

"Unfortunately so," Garrison replied, nodding.

"What parts did he lie?" North whispered.

"He was lying about the part of the document being signed by the White House," Garrison whispered. "Why didn't you object?"

"How can I?" he gasped. "He's higher up than I am!"

Both sighed.

"And you felt the earthquake, right?" North asked.

"Y-yes," Garrison replied.

"I've been in California for over 12 years," he moaned. "And now, with zombie apocalypse and all, this is ridiculous! California has enough problems already, with wildfires, crime rates, homelessness, earthquakes and all. Now, you throw in zombie apocalypse, and you have anarchy, criminals roaming the streets, and a weird wall of rock to contain everybody in! How worse can it get?!"

He slammed his fists, sobbing utterly.

"Maybe you're being too hard on the people here," began Garrison. "I advise-"

"SHUT UP!" North reacted childishly, slamming his fists again. "I am NOT changing my iron fist rule! I am General here, and I must comply! I must act rule! I must act tough!"

Garrison only frowned, annoyed at his friend, shaking his head.

"Will you ever learn," he muttered. "To stop acting like a bully?"

He watched his own friend, sobbing like a child. Hours ago, he was all-mighty and so harsh. Now, he was just...pathetic.

"Man," Garrison muttered under his own breath, deliberately low to avoid being heard. "Things are falling apart, aren't they?"

* * *

 **Somewhere in the northern parts of the city**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **3:00 PM; July 11, 20XX**

"How long are we taking?" Yukari asked, as she and Mako piggybacked on Hana and Saori respectively.

The Chosen trio, with their human and non-human cargo, had been running and jumping for quite a while. Despite the intense sun and the fighting on the streets, the group continued onward, in the direction of the latest earthquake blast.

"I remember about the LMO," said Miho. "We're going in that direction.

They kept leaping from building to building.

"What is the LMO?" asked Saori. "I forgot about it."

"Seriously...?" Mako moaned, trying to sleep. "Saori-chan, you're moving too much for me to sleep."

"Mako!" Saori blurted out, as she almost stumbled, but regained her balance and leaped away again. "Stop doing that!"

"Still the same," Mako mumbled, using her friend's neck as a "desk" to scribble down more notes.

"Mako!" Saori screamed, then giggled. "T-that tickles!"

"Focus girls," Miho called out. "Focus! Let's get out of-DUCK!"

Mako and Yukari tucked in closely, while their Chosen friends escaped down into a narrow alleyway, just as a group of Reaper drones flew by. Miho immediately took down her belongings, summoning her sword and was about to get out when she stopped.

Three giant, spider-like zombies zoomed overhead, and Miho waited for a while before jumping to take a look.

She peeked, as the spider-like zombies chased after the drones, which were apparently trying fly away. However, the zombies soon took down all seven of them, with the last one wobbling before crashing down in a street not far away.

Miho came down.

"It looks like we're safe again," Miho said, packing up. "To be honest, I've been thinking about something..."

Miho suddenly was silent, thinking about something.

"Is something wrong?" asked Saori.

"Oh no-no," replied Miho. "It's just...that one of the drones crashed nearby an area that we're about to cross."

"Can't we just go?" asked Mako. "Or are we going to spend time investigating the PAMC or something?"

The girls stared at her, then at each other.

Miho's face lit with a small but genuine smile...

* * *

"Oh boy," Mako said. "Why do I have to do it?"

A few minutes later, all of them landed at the crash site of the lone Reaper. Unlike other drones, which were all demolished on the spot by the strange zombies, this one somehow crashed and did not explode. Despite this, Miho stood by her side, in order to shield her from any potential explosion. Meanwhile, the crash made a loud noise, attracting multiple zombies to the location. While Yukari was checking the belongings, in order to make sure that they had everything still, Saori and Hana focused on fending off the attacks.

"These zombies are toast!" Saori replied, flapping her fans to create blasts of flames, which incinerated a number of them. "Fan Burn!"

"You sound more joyful now," Hana remarked, swinging her naginata to summon sharp spikes and vines, which wrapped her enemies and impaled them en masse. Hordes after hordes continued to march towards the group, but they were not a threat; with two Chosen Ones actively fighting, there was some safety for now.

"What do you find?" asked Miho, holding her sword down to the ground like a knight.

"Hmm," Mako mused. Miho opened up the intact body of the drone, revealing some unusual contraptions.

"Strange," Mako muttered. "This is unusual for a drone."

"How?" Miho asked, craning in to look.

"Look at these," Mako said, pointing.

Miho looked. She saw four orange cylinders, and one black box that looked like a car battery.

"In most planes," Mako explained. "There is at least one flight recorder, usually called a 'black box,' despite being actually orange in color. This drone, however, is unusual for having five, despite its size."

"Five memory devices on a single drone?" Miho inferred. "That's...that IS odd."

"Hmm," Mako said.

The two looked at the sign next to them. The same old ankh sign, the symbol of PAMC, the organization that they all needed to avoid, was as bright as fresh paint.

Despite its bright colors, the sign made Miho shiver a little.

Suddenly, she remembered something. She raised her sword, pulled the string, and sawed off the sign.

"Are we keeping those?" Mako asked.

"Yes," she replied, taking it up. "We'll analyze this symbol later, or maybe we can take a picture of it?"

"Let's take a pic later," Mako suggested. "In case that symbol has something more. Plus, I have a feeling that the black box is the one we need."

"Huh?"

"I think," Mako said in a whisper. "That the other four are...decoys."

Miho accurately guessed what she was whispering about.

"Girls!" Miho said. "Pack up and go! I will be right there!"

The others complied, and jumped away to a nearby building. Miho then revved up her chainsaw again, which whirled and buzzed faster and louder. She approached the interior, and peeked in.

Even before she peeked in, however, she heard a familiar noise, the noise she heard so many times in action and military movies she watched.

Without a second thought, Miho shrunk her saw, and forcibly cut out the black box, guessing correctly that it could be removed. In a split second, just as she jumped with the box in her hands, the drone exploded, sending a massive blast that made even her tremble.

"What was that?!" Saori gasped, as Miho carefully touched down with her possessions.

"It was rigged," Mako explained. "I speculated that the things inside were quite...excessive. Sure enough, I noticed that the orange parts, which normally would be flight recorders that record everything on the systems, looked a little...rigged with something explosive."

"And she was right," Miho said. "The contraptions inside were all rigged to explode, except for this one."

She held out a strange box.

"That's the real recording box," Mako said. "But first, we'll have to find a way to access it. Anyone?"

Nobody answered, so Mako shrugged.

"We'll keep that," Mako said. "Then, should we become strong enough to access it, we can try our luck next time."

"Great point," Miho said, packing the black box into her bag. "Let's go, then."

They jumped away, and landed at the edge of the city. Behind them, the city was in chaos, with airplanes flying around, zombies roaming around, and survivors struggling around. In front of them was a different world: a world of towering trees, wild vegetations, and unknown dangers.

Miho sighed.

"Friends," she said seriously. "We are now entering an area that is both safer than, and riskier than, the city."

They all tensed up or gulped in response.

"We've fought as Senshadou in wilderness areas before," she said. "But this is no sport; it's survival. We have to do what we have to do."

They all nodded.

"So then," Miho declared. "Tank or no tank, Chosen or not, let's do this for the sake of humanity, and perhaps even the American god or gods."

They all smiled, and Miho reached her hand. They all reached out together, making a hand stack.

"Panzer vor!" she cried, as all of them rallied together and marched into the unknown.

* * *

 **Somewhere in the western part of a forest...**

 **Miles away from Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **8:00 AM; July 14, 20XX**

"And we thought that entering the wilderness had its own pros and cons," said Saori, cooking more food. "And good thing we have more-Mako, stop eating that!"

Mako shook her head in polite defiance, as she consumed her second bunch of bananas.

"Nope," she replied. "No sweets around, but these will do."

Saori pouted.

"Speaking of sweets," Hana said. "I remember reading about Santa Maria, the closest city here. I heard that it has some sweet grapes."

"Grapes..." Mako moaned, her ears twitching like that of a sneaky fox. "Grapes, I want them."

"Not yet," Saori said. "We have to wait until Miporin and Yukarin come back."

"Speaking of them," Hana said. "Remember how we thought that all was safe and sound?"

"Even Miporin eventually calmed down," said Saori. "And then...those things happened and...appeared."

* * *

 **Somewhere in the northern parts of the city**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **4:00 PM; July 11, 20XX**

"We should be safe by now," Miho said, surveying her surroundings.

She and her group were now deep within the forest, and they all turned around.

Los Santos was no saintly or safe place anymore; now, flames after flames burst out, while all kinds of military planes flew about. The Chosen girls' eyes also saw more minute details, such as humans fighting against or fleeing from zombies, in addition to some zombies that were clearly unique.

A few zombies pointed guns in the air, shooting at the aircraft. One drone fell down with a crash.

"Firearm-wielding zombies," Hana gasped, covering her mouth. "This is bad."

"And the usual weirdos," Saori mumbled, trembling at the sight of zombies that breathed fire. "Can't believe that they're still...weird, no matters how many times you see them."

"And I see our former safe zone," Miho whispered.

The others all looked, especially when Miho pointed. Far away, they saw a walled section of the city, which clearly was one of the biggest in the city. They also noticed smaller, less fortified settlements, with one of them already being overrun. Miho and her friends turned their eyes around.

"Girls," Miho said, turning back. "Let's pray."

Saori blinked at that response, but she and everybody else complied.

 _Anything to keep us sane, I guess_ , Saori thought.

They then bowed in the direction of the city, silent. Miho then started it.

"Dear God, gods, or kami," she whispered. "Wherever you are, please help us-NOW!"

Miho did not finish, as she quickly tackled her friends, out of the way. She threw all four of them away, just as something struck where they were, like a meteor. However, instead of a single ball of rock with fire, it was a sickly purple mass of pulsing bubbles.

They got up, dusting themselves as they stared.

"What the-" Saori was about to say, but gawked at the sight.

All of them crouched down in the bushes, staring at the sickly purple mass. They sniffed the air, and made faces.

"Eww," Saori and Hana both commented, covering their faces.

"Gross!" Yukari and Mako both remarked, backing away.

Miho stood her ground, and watched.

"Girls," she commanded. "Get down."

"We're with you," Saori said.

They then approached the strange mass of purple blob, stalking through the bushes. It now looked like a pool of purple energy, with bubbles popping out like from a hot spring.

"It's the Orb," Miho uttered. "The Light Magenta Orb, the Orb that caused the apocalypse, is now sending out this strange...blast of energy?"

"What is it?" Saori asked.

They watched the sickening mass of energy, pulsating like a disgusting hot spring.

"Ugh," Saori and even Hana moaned. The sight of it, plus the SMELL of it, made them feel sick to the stomach.

"Girls..." Miho whispered, backing away. "Let's back away..."

They agreed, and backed away. Suddenly, Yukari tripped.

"Whoops!" Yukari fell, and Miho caught her just in time.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The purple pool stopped pulsing, then erupted madly. It spewed out what looked like giant balls of energy; each ball spewed out made the pool smaller, until it was no more. Miho counted eight of them, which rolled around. Suddenly, the eight stumbled upon a sounder of eight feral pigs. The sounder fled in terror, only for the eight balls to suddenly roll after them. Squeals of terror rang out, as the eight balls apparently caught their quarry.

 _Squeal!_

 _Squeal!_

 _S...squ...squeal..._

The pigs' cries slowly died down. The girls gulped.

"We better get out of here," Miho began. "Before they-"

 _CRAAAUUGGHH!_

A hideous screech bellowed out, causing the girls to flinch. Eight massive figures thundered into view, and they all gasped.

The former pigs were turned into humanoid monsters. Towering at over eight feet tall, they all looked obese but muscular, walking on two stumpy legs and with gorilla-like arms. The mutated hands gripped back and forth, as if ready to claw at something. The heads were horrible; they looked like giant boars, but mutilated with scars and warts. All of them were covered in pale, sickly-red skin, which was in turn covered by a blackish-gray mass of fur.

"Eww!" Saori groaned. "Orcs, aren't they?"

"Orcs?!" the others stared, gawking.

"We are indeed Orcs," the biggest of them grunted. "And we seek human flesh. Chosen? Will eat, but first, weak first..."

The girls gawked. It was hard to tell which was scarier: the mutant pigs, or the fact that they could _talk_.

"Oh no," Miho replied, recognizing what that meant. "Girls, get ready-NOW!"

All of them jumped up into a tall tree, just as three of them charged in. They crashed into the ground, with one smashing a boulder. The boulder split in half upon impact.

"Get out of there!" Miho yelled, as she and others leaped from tree to tree. Each time, an Orc crushed the tree that they were on, like it was a mere piece of timber.

"How are these Orcs?!" Mako yelled, trembling.

"I saw them in a video game!" Saori screamed, holding her up and jumping again and again. "Orcs normally have green skin, but can be anything big, ugly, and hairy!"

"In other words," Hana remarked calmly. "An Orc is anything that represents a hairy barbarian."

One of them suddenly grabbed her by the left leg, as she was about to jump.

"Gotcha!" it squealed. "What the-"

Hana smiled, as a vine wrapped around the Orc, and impaled it with a spike. It roared in pain, as it let go, and Hana jumped away gracefully.

"Keep jumping away!" Miho replied, telling them all to move on. "Move, move!"

They obeyed and jumped, although they all stared at what she would do. Miho turned around, and summoned her sword.

The sudden flash of the sword caught their attention, causing them to flinch. All of the Orcs then grunted and retreated, although Miho watched them at a distance. Not far away, they sniffed the air, and then looked back before disappearing into the edge of the city.

"They're coming back," she noted, jumping back. "I better let the others know..."

* * *

 **30 minutes later...**

"Girls," she told them. "We have to be ready."

They now set up base inside a cave, overhanging from a cliff. It was almost in the middle of the cliff, so that the only way to get in was by jumping into it, or climbing with special gear.

"Good thing we're Chosen," Saori sighed, summoning her fans. "Guess we're going?"

Miho nodded.

"And why did we have to get wet?" Mako asked, sighing in resignation. She shivered a little, as all of her clothing was off, and Saori fanned her, warming her up. Yukari also was naked, and pushed in with Mako to get warmed.

"Water should remove your scent a little," Miho replied, as she and her friends readied their weapons. "But those Orcs...I have a feeling that they're a lot stronger than they look."

"And smarter?" Hana asked, waving her naginata.

Miho nodded.

"The Orb," Mako grunted. "Or the LMO, that thing...what's it really doing?"

"I have a feeling," said Miho. "That it caused another earthquake, just because of something that happened..."

"Eh?" the others asked.

"Remember the earthquake from before?" she asked them. "Why would it suddenly do so?"

"I don't know," Saori answered, shrugging. "Just to show off?"

"Exactly," Miho replied, causing everyone to blink. "Maybe that's why..."

She then waved something in her hands.

"I think there is a reason..." she said. "I have had this feeling, but was not sure..."

She waved her hands around, as if doing a martial arts display. Putting her hands together, as if doing some sort of tai chi or some mystical fighting, she concentrated.

"If this is the work of a god," she mumbled. "Well, I wonder..."

She stared, and her friends stared.

Nothing happened...

The cliff loomed behind her, as the birds flew in the air, chirping and calling about. The waterfall on the right side of the cave echoed in the distance, its curtain of blue coolness roaring yet whispering at the same time, as the water crashed into the rocks below. Trees towered over the cliff on the other side.

It was all calm, but not Miho.

"Hmm..." she concentrated. "How should I do this...?"

Yukari watched, then had an idea.

"How about think of it like a tank?" she suggested.

The others looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Miho, however, was listening.

"Go on," she replied, surprising the others.

"It's been a while," Yukari said, scratching her head. "How about view yourself as piloting a cannon, and focus like the triangle shapes inside of the telescope?"

Miho did just that, imagining herself as targeting her enemies. Suddenly, she imagined the new Orcs, the zombies around, and even the Orb, which she saw only in dreams, as enemy tanks.

Suddenly, something formed. A spark of light magenta grew, at first tiny. Then, it grew bigger and bigger, large enough for the girls to distinguish its shape.

"Is that..." Saori gasped.

"Like the Orb-" Yukari began to say, but a sudden avalanche caused them to flinch. Rocks suddenly fell from above, forcing the girls to back in.

"They're here already!" Miho sighed, as the strange spark disappeared from her hands. "Girls, get ready!"

"On it!" Saori and Hana both replied, with Saori on her left and Hana on the right. Miho stood in the middle, then turned to look at Yukari and Mako.

"Stay low," she told them. "We'll be back."

Both girls nodded, as the girls suddenly jumped. Huge screams rang out, as the girls successfully threw down four of them, who all fell to their deaths below.

"Boy," Yukari began. "That was easy-"

"AHHHHH!"

Saori fell down, as the two girls inside of the cave gasped. They flinched, staying as still as stone. Then, Saori climbed up, looking tattered.

"OK!" Saori grunted, dusting herself and healing herself. "I am really, REALLY angry now!"

She jumped up again.

"I wonder how they're doing..." Yukari noted.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!"

Saori gasped, as the Orc in front of her proved harder than she expected. Hana and Miho both jumped to her side, gasping for breath. They had been fighting for 30 minutes straight, ever since they first showed up, and tried to kill them with an avalanche.

This time, the Orcs were definitely better prepared. Despite successfully throwing four of them down, Miho and her friends now were struggling with the surviving ones.

"This time," the Orc leader grunted. "We are armed and armored, to the teeth! You puny Chosen Ones cannot hope to defeat us that easily!"

"How did they make them so fast?!" Saori gasped.

Miho watched them, her sword still in hand, buzzing and humming with energy.

Indeed, the Orcs somehow looted their own melee weapons, but as if enchanted by magic, the weapons they held were oversized and jagged, looking more like the type of weapons found in fantasy games of sort. The leader wielded a colossal battleaxe; Miho noted silently that the head alone was as almost as big as she was tall. The other survivors were just as armed; one waved a flail, while another was holding two hammers. The craziest one, however, apparently was using a water pipe of sort.

It was this one that was causing the biggest trouble, shooting at them from a distance. It used its pipe like a blowpipe, shooting something out of it.

"Ugh!" Saori groaned. "We need to take it down, but the others defend it!"

Furthermore, Miho noted that all of them were now armored. Previously, they wore nothing, only covered in disgustingly gray fur. Now, the Orcs somehow donned their own unique armor, mostly a black jacket with silver spikes on the shoulders. Underneath the jacket, the Orcs had what looked like some sort of chain mail, except with some thorns in them. Now, the Orcs looked very much like barbarians, but gritty and definitely savage.

"They look more gross now," remarked Saori, flapping her fans in defense.

"If only they could do something about their..." Hana coughed, making a face. "Smell."

Miho stared at the Orcs, deflecting another dart from the Pipe Orc.

"There is the Pipe Orc, the Hammer Orc, the Flail Orc..." she noted. "And the Orc Leader."

"Good naming!" the Leader grunted, flexing its muscles. "But let's see if you can survive this!"

It inhaled then, suddenly gave out a huge screech. All three girls covered their ears, but Miho peeked and parried blows from the Flail and Hammer Orcs.

"Girls!" she yelled. "Back away!"

They all obeyed, just as the Pipe Orc blew more darts, trying to incapacitate them.

"OK," said Miho, deflecting more blows from the Pipe Orc. "We need to draw them away from the cliff, in order to think of what to do."

"You mean," Hana said, emulating her and successfully deflecting a Pipe dart with her naginata. "We have to draw them away from the cave, and then fight them somehow?"

Miho nodded.

"Go!" she commanded Saori.

Saori waved her fans, then fired some balls of energy at the Orcs. As expected, the Orcs jumped out of the way, but opened the way for one of the girls to sprint and strike the Pipe Orc, pushing it over the cliff.

"Aughhhhh!" the Orc screeched, as it fell.

"Whew!" Miho said, panting. "That was-"

She felt something wrapping around her throat. The Orc Leader held her by the neck, slowly strangling her. On impulse, Miho did not struggle, knowing full well that struggling would only intensify the pain.

The Orc Leader smiled, and waved something in its right hand. Miho internally gasped, as her weapon appeared on its right hand!

"I can immobilize you," it began. "But this-"

Miho suddenly punched it in the neck with her right hand, nailing it in the more vulnerable spot underneath the chin. Taken off-guard, it dropped her, and she fled, but tripped over, as a flail's chain flew over her legs.

"Uf!" she groaned, hitting the ground. For normal people, that impact alone would knock anyone out, but Chosen Ones like her could easily shrug off the blow. The Flail Orc then raised its flail, but Miho quickly threw a pebble at it, distracting it long enough to stand up and run away.

"Miporin!" Saori cried, as she and Hana stood on top of trees. "A-are you OK?"

"Yeah," she panted, standing with them. "But..."

Miho opened her hands, trying to summon her sword.

Nothing happened.

"Mi-Miporin?!" Saori gasped.

"As suspected," Miho whispered. "It stole my weapon-"

"Augh!"

They all looked up, as the Orc Leader flinched, dropping the sword. The sword whirled and buzzed, but it somehow rejected the Leader, electrocuting it.

"Dang it!" it grunted. "I can't use this cool blade!"

Slightly shaking its hand, it smirked at the girls.

"But," it grunted, pushing it near the cliff, so that it almost dropped. "Guess you're a weakling without it, eh?"

Miho sweated, thinking hard.

"What can we do..." she wondered.

* * *

"Uh oh..."

Yukari and Mako both shook, as an Orc somehow was hanging on the cliff below them.

"What..." Mako gasped. "What can we do?"

Yukari carefully tiptoed over, watching it.

The Pipe Orc apparently was hanging, but only by a single left hand. It struggled to try and lift its other hand, but somehow could not.

Yukari squinted her eyes at it, while Mako trembled.

"Stay there," Yukari whispered. "I'll try and defend you, if I can."

"Th-thanks," Mako groaned. "He-here."

She tossed a pair of black gloves.

"Thanks," she whispered in gratitude, wearing it. She then carefully approached it, peeking.

Suddenly, something swung, and Yukari ducked back in response. Something long and metallic flew through the air.

"Get the pipe!" the Orc's voice grunted. "I am coming!"

Apparently, the (almost) fallen Orc was calling out to its comrades, who were fighting the girls in the plateau above the cliff.

"This is bad," Yukari noted. "I have to get it down, before it does something!"

The Orc then tried to swing its right arm, in order to climb up. Acting fast, Yukari took out an ax from one of the bags, and swung at the arm.

"Ugh!" it grunted, as a trail of greenish-red blood oozed out of its right hand, where the ax hit.

"You're not getting up!" Yukari roared, trying to smash the left hand with the butt of her ax.

"Foolish female!" it grunted. "You know perfectly well that I have a family?!"

"What?" she gasped, flinching. "What are you talking about?"

"We have a family," it grunted. "Just like you!"

"Family..." Yukari pondered, lowering her ax for a while, unaware that the Orc was getting to re-swing its right arm back.

"Wait a minute!" she gasped. "You have no family; you rose from that Orb-"

"Correct," it grunted, now hanging on both of its arms.

Yukari blinked, then gasped.

"You tricked me!" she shouted, hastily trying to swing her axe again, but it was too late. The Orc managed to jump up, grabbed the axe, ripping it out of her grasp, and threw it away. The axe fell down the cliff with a distant thud.

The Orc stood, towering over the two girls. Its gross skin and fur stood out, despite being covered by its jacket and chain mail. It snickered, spitting to its left. The spit left a distinctly greenish spot on a boulder nearby.

"N-no," Mako trembled, trying to make herself look smaller.

Yukari punched the Orc in the chest, but the only thing she managed to do, was to hurt herself.

"Ouch!" she cried out in pain, as she felt her hand throbbing and pulsing. It felt like punching a wall.

The Orc grunted, and swung its arm to the left, batting her away like a mere fly. The blow sent her crashing at the cave's left-side wall.

Hitting the wall, Yukari fell to the ground, her body in unimaginable pain, and barely conscious.

"S-stay away from me!" Mako stuttered, trying to move her shaking body away from the approaching Orc.

"H-hang on!" Yukari tried to comfort her, but she winced, as she was badly wounded. Her legs felt almost numb, her abdomen like it was on fire, and the back of her head felt wet.

To make matters, Yukari coughed, and gasped as she was coughing blood.

"Oh no..." she realized. "I have...ah...internal bleeding."

"You lose!" it growled, grabbing Mako by her throat and raising her on its eye-level. "Give you already!"

"Give up already..." Yukari shook, suddenly remembering something...

* * *

 _"Who are you?" a little girl snickered at her._

 _Yukari bore some kind of a perm, so that her hair looked very short and smooth, making her look like a boy. She remembered back as a little kid._

 _"Are you even a girl?" the girl teased her, poking her cheek._

 _"I-I am!" she replied._

 _"But what are you holding?" she snarled._

 _Yukari looked down. She was caressing a kit of a tank model._

 _"Eww," she teased again. "A girl interested in tanks! What a 'female' thing to do!"_

 _She laughed out very loud, and rudely pushed her out of the way._

 _"Give up already!" she scowled. "You can't be strong with that!"_

* * *

"You can't be strong with that..." Yukari mumbled, trying to crawl towards the Orc, her consciousness fading away, little by little.

"Yu-Yukari!" Mako croaked, as the Orc brought her closer to its face to inspect...its feature meal.

"Ugh," it grunted. "I've eaten many different humans just a while ago, but none of them were...succulent. Too firm and gamey."

It spat to its right, then as it turned back, its eyes glimpsed Yukari's crawling body. A lecherous grin appeared on its face. It waved it right index finger (or finger-like hoof?) around Mako's trembling body, like a butcher inspecting a piece of fresh meat.

"Hmm," it noted, smelling her. "Your friend here smells a little...lean. But at least you're big and soft enough."

The last comment was directed at Yukari, as the Orc licked its porcine snout in anticipation.

"First, I'll eat your friend, then you're next! Hahahaha!" it laughed hysterically. "Gotta keep the best one for last!"

Mako was as white as a piece of paper, her beautiful hazel eyes filled with tears that rolled down on her cheeks, a horrified, pale expression etched on her face, as she stared at the Orc's bloodstained mouth.

Yukari tried to crawl towards her friend, but her hands gave up, the last scraps of strength vanishing. Her eyes were blank, tears falling from them.

She had failed to protect her friend.

Her whole body was broken, her friend about to be eaten alive in front of her...

She felt despair creeping into her soul, her fighting spirit getting extinguished by the second like a small flame that was pounded by heavy rain.

"I give..." she was about to say it...

* * *

"Hehe," the Orc Leader grunted, picking up the pipe. "My Orc is making short work of your companions, it seems."

Miho started to sweat, trying to concentrate.

"They are definitely smarter than the Absorber we've met!" Hana gasped, trembling. She was struggling to keep up her naginata, knowing well of the danger her non-Chosen companions were in.

"Yu-Yukarin!" Saori cried out. "M-Mako!"

"Give up already," the Leader grunted, holding out the pipe. "My Orc threw this up, as proof that it's alive! Plus, it's right where your puny cave is, so it's feast time!"

The Leader then looked down at Miho, grinning.

"It's too late to save your precious friends," it grunted, smirking. "Give up already, and I'll make your deaths swift and quick!"

Miho lowered her head down, thinking. After a few tense seconds, she got a deep breath, and then audibly sighed.

"Alright," she said.

"Miporin..."

"Mi-Miho-san..."

"Leader," she said. Saori noticed something in sparkling in her eyes...some hope left?

"But before I say so," she said. "Leader, can I say one last thing to my friends?"

"Yes?" it answered, a grin forming on its grotesque face.

"Can I have one last sentence?" she asked.

"Go ahead," it replied. "There is no danger to that."

She went to the plateau's edge, and looked downwards. The other Orcs tried to push her off, but the Leader shook its head.

"She's harmless," it croaked, laughing a little. "Let her dwell in the moment of defeat."

She lowered down, and looked down. She sighted the cave's entrance, although she could not see everything, because of the rocks blocking the view from above. Furthermore, despite not seeing what was going, she could hear everything below, especially Yukari's last words.

"I give..."

"Yukari!" Miho shouted with all her might.

"That's one sentence," the Hammer Orc said, raising its hammers to strike her down.

"No," the Leader grunted. "That's too short. Let her say more."

Nodding, Miho then looked back down, breathed, and said in a loud, determined voice:

"NEVER GIVE UP, BECAUSE IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF IN FRONT OF AN IMPOSSIBLE OBSTACLE, PUSH THROUGH IT IN YOUR OWN WAY, LIKE IN SENSHADOU!"

She said that on impulse; even she was taken aback by her own statement, as the Leader moved to push her off...

* * *

"Never give up..." Yukari murmured.

Gradually, she felt something inside of her growing, her fighting spirit coming back once more. She dragged her limp body towards the Orc with sheer willpower.

"Just give up already," the Orc growled, spitting at her, then turning its attention towards Mako, who was struggling now. Even she tried to resist, encouraged by Miho's words.

"Never give up..." Yukari mumbled again, starting to feel her legs once more. "If you ever find yourself...in front of an...impossible...obstacle."

She stopped, then tried to stand up. She did, although her legs were very wobbly, like jelly.

The Orc turned its face slightly in her direction, looking at her trembling body with a slight amusement.

"Push through it...in your OWN way!" Yukari shouted, raising her gloved hands in an effort to try and punch the Orc.

She limped towards the Orc, like a fighter who was on her last legs.

"You humans, especially Chosen, don't know when to give up, eh?" it grunted. "Well then, let me teach you a lesson!"

The Orc threw away Mako, then turned its whole attention to Yukari.

"Like...a tank, we advance...over any obstacle," she croaked, coughing blood on the ground. "Like a cannon, we-"

The Orc interrupted her, grabbing her throat and lifting her up in the air, slowly strangling her.

"...we aim...at our targets," she continued to croak, her breathing becoming shallow and raspy. Her face started to turn blue, but her eyes blazed with determination and resolve, remaining defiant to the bitter end.

"Like...a...shell...we strike...our...foes..." she gasped.

She felt her life ebbing away from her broken body, her vision blurring and darkening, her hearing getting dull. However, her clenched, right fist, raised to strike the Orc, refused to fall limply to her side. As her face turned blue, she released one last, powerful phrase, using her last strength to punch the monster before her.

"WITH AN IRON FIST!"

Suddenly, a silver-white light glittered from her gloved fist, moments before it made contact with the Orc's face.

"AAAUUUGGGGHHH!"

* * *

"What the?!" the Orc Leader roared, as it and the others jumped away. Miho, however, smiled.

A huge, silver-white light blazed out from beneath the cliff. Saori and Hana both gasped, but Miho knew what had transpired.

She stepped away from the edge calmly, as a familiar figure jumped up. A girl flexed her gauntlets, which were silver-white, and the fists alone were a little larger than her own head.

"Thanks," Yukari replied. "Nishizumi-dono, you are really who you are: the nicest girl, and the most inspirational leader, I've ever met."

Miho smiled and nodded in response.

"Thank you," she said.

Yukari blushed, scratching her head in mild embarrassment.

"Now," Miho said, turning around. "Who's next?"

The remaining three Orcs blinked, then flexed their muscles, and they seemed to grow more muscular, although not taller.

"You've killed one more," said the Leader, growling as it raised both its ax and its pipe. "But I guess...you already know we've become stronger."

Miho nodded.

"And," it hissed, cracking its fists. "You had guessed that one of yours would become...Chosen, eh?"

Miho nodded again.

"But that won't add to your advantage," it roared. "You have melee, but we have ranged!"

Miho and Yukari both jumped out of the way, while Miho tried to pick up her weapon back.

It did not budge, so Miho jumped away.

"Watch out!" Miho said, warning her. "That Orc Leader can steal weapons, and prevent you from using them."

Yukari glanced at the Orcs, then at herself. She felt a huge surge of power, coursing through her very veins. She then opened and closed her hands. The giant, silver-white gauntlets looked like futuristic gloves, but over-sized. They pulsed with some whitish energy, and she noticed some black stripes over the gloves.

"They remind me of tiger..." Yukari mused. "Tigers start out as weak, but when they grow, they're strong."

Yukari then jumped down, and calmly walked towards the Orcs.

"Yukarin!" Saori called out. "Be careful! You just turned-"

Yukari went on all fours, then charged. She dodged another dark attack, before delivering one punch with her right glove.

"Ugh!" the Leader grunted, knocked over. It fell down on the ground, momentarily stunned by Yukari's strike.

Suddenly, Miho noticed the sword stopped glowing. Suspecting, she quickly sprinted towards it, and picked it up. She swung it, and revved it up again.

"It's now four to three!" Yukari called out, as the others joined her. "Get lost!"

"Never!" the Orcs roared. "It's either victory, or death!"

"Suit yourself," Miho said. "Girls, how about we give them a fair fight?"

"Eh?"

"Three to three," Miho said. "Why not?"

The Orc Leader hesitated, then smiled evilly.

"Good point," the Orc Leader sneered, flexing its muscles. "Fair fighter you are, eh? Orcs, let's give them a beatdown. Three-to-three, and you, the Chosen One with the cool chainsaw, have to stay out of this fight!"

"In return?" she asked.

"In return," it grunted, cracking its fists. "I am NOT using my magic, just my pure muscles and my weapons. So, Chosen Ones, give it all you've got!"

"Excellent," Miho said, making a strange smile. "Girls, _ute!_ "

* * *

 **Somewhere in the western part of the Los Padres National Forest**

 **Miles away from Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **7:45 AM; July 14, 20XX**

"And that's where we are," Saori grunted, stretching. "Man, having a new Chosen One gave all of us a HUGE boost of energy."

"And morale," Mako added, secretly eating a banana.

The three girls sat in a circle, sighing in relief.

"Although the Orcs believed that the battle was theirs," said Hana. "They sure made a grave error, when they forgot to realize that WE use magic."

"And we gave them a beatdown," said Saori, waving her fans around. "You, Yukari, and I just hit them so hard, that they were bleeding badly. Then, we all kicked them down the cliffs below. Yukari had the privilege of PUNCHING that Orc Leader, and it flew into the opposite cliff, before falling down for good."

"I am glad that we all are alive and well," said Hana. "Especially Yukari, since she's the one who suffered the most."

"Ah," Mako said, looking up from her plate. "I forgot about that."

"About what?" asked Saori.

"We're back!" Miho called out, leaping back with a pile of feral pigs, wrapped together like a bundle of hay. Yukari also followed, visibly tired.

"She's now 197 cm tall," Miho said. "So, I gave her some time to rest."

"Oh!" Yukari panted, but flexed her gauntlets, which were now even bigger than ever. "Man, I feel a LOT stronger!"

"And she gave you one epic training," remarked Saori. "Welcome to the Nishizumi style."

Yukari nodded, panting a little.

"Yukari-chan," Mako said, standing up and walking towards her.

"Hiya!" she replied. "What are you-"

She stopped, as Mako hugged her. Stunned, she let her continue to hug, as she patted her on the head with her white gloves.

"Th-thanks," she sobbed. "Thanks for standing up for me there..."

Yukari smiled.

"No," she replied. "I should thank you; you're the one who handed me the gloves to fight."

"I-I..." she continued to cry. "I feel so weak."

"Me too," Yukari said, still patting her like a mother towards a daughter. "But we're in this together, right?"

"Ri-right," she answered back, wiping away her tears.

"Thanks for being there with us all," Yukari replied.

The others smiled, letting them talk. Unknown to Miho, who put her hands behind her back (after dropping off her game animals), a small, faint orb of energy circled in her hands. A single golden orb glowed faintly, surrounded by three lights, orbiting like electrons in an atom: vermilion-red, azure-blue, and silver-white. Another light, ebony-black, wandered around the arms. Then, it moved in, and orbited with the rest.

Sensing something, Miho looked back. The orb and all four lights disappeared, before she could see them.

"Huh..." she pondered. "I felt something...I think..."

Miho turned around.

"Mako," she declared. "You're next."

Mako looked at her, her eyes a little red.

"Th-thanks," she replied. "Man, I can't wait to be Chosen."

"And you're going to fix your sleep," Saori said, bringing in a plate of something sweet and aromatic.

Mako frowned, displeased at the rude awakening, but upon smelling the plate, drooled and limped towards her.

"Apple crumble..." she moaned.

"Stop acting like a zombie!" Saori shivered, backing away. "Stop it, will ya!"

The others giggled, as Mako was back to herself.

"Still," Yukari said, wiping her face with her gauntlets. "What more can we expect?"

Suddenly, a purple ball of energy struck nearby in a valley. All four Chosen Ones stood up, with Mako standing by.

"I will stay with Mako," Saori said.

The others nodded, and then the three dashed away, weapons ready as the first few monsters rose out of the purple pool.

"Light Magenta Orb," Miho said, as she cleaved a monster before it could fully form. Its form disappeared into a cloud of golden dust.

"We know where you are!" Yukari declared, punching another. It appeared to have been mutated from a deer, but her punch destroyed it, disappearing into a cloud of silver-white dust.

"We are coming for you," Miho declared, raising her sword, creating a pillar of golden light. "Yes, we are coming."

* * *

 **And well, that's an interesting fight.**

 **I decided to have another fight scene, because well...the previous chapter was awesome. So, why not another?**

 **Once again, aGuestfromGreece45 helped me out with this.**

 **Panzer vor!**


	25. Chapter 25: The Last Piece

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker.**

 **Pardon my delay and such, because of a minor sickness. I have cold sores on my lips, and once gone, I am starting to feel it.**

 **However, I am passionate about writing, so this is still here.**

 **Note: This time, I will be updating the story about one chapter per week. Yes, there is a reason why, but some of you may know, so I am not going to say it.**

* * *

 **On a side note: Mako, hang in there.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 25: The Last Piece**

 **On the way to Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **10:00 AM; July 14, 20XX**

"Are we there yet?"

"Saori-chan, why are you complaining?"

"You are not Chosen, Mako!"

Saori was the only girl to give Mako a piggyback, since Mako was the only non-Chosen member of the team. Mako held on tight, as Saori waved her war fans around, shooting out fiery missiles at the mutant monstrosities that were spawning out of the purple pools. A golden slash cleaved three of the strange creatures, leaving behind a cloud of golden in the wake.

"Ten down," Miho called out. "Three more to go."

"Augh!" Saori groaned. "I heard that the number '13' is an unlucky number in the US."

"Then kill FOUR of them," Mako deadpanned.

Saori rolled her eyes, as she incinerated a strange chimeric creature. It looked like a hybrid of a fox and a rat.

"Seriously," said Saori, as she fired blasts of fire at more monsters. "What are these creatures?"

"It appears to be created by the LMO," Mako deadpanned, as she observed the monsters with some interest.

"But why all of a sudden?" Saori asked. "It suddenly started to strike us!"

"Maybe," said Hana, as she impaled a horde with magical spikes from the ground, while cleaving three of the monsters with her naginata. "The LMO or the Orb recognizes Miho as a threat."

"Good point," Mako said. "I have a feeling that Miho knows it too..."

She watched, as a group of monsters got thrown into the air. Yukari seemed to revel in the slaughter of the monsters.

"Oh yeah!" she roared, bashing the monsters. "This is so much better than zombies!"

"Hold yourself, Yukari-chan," Miho said, as she cleaved away monsters after monsters with her sword. Of all the girls, the monsters were most interested in her, as she fired a huge blast of golden energy, which destroyed a purple pool into a cloud of golden dust.

"Now that she mention it," Hana said, slicing another. "Where are the zombies?"

"Ohhhhhhaaahhhh..."

A deep moan echoed in the distance. Everybody turned around, sighting a horde of zombies suddenly rushing in from a nearby deserted village.

Miho sighed, but made a determined face.

"Girls," she said. "We have enemies old and new."

"Mako!" Saori said. "Hold on tight!"

Mako gulped.

"Man," she groaned. "When will I be Chosen?"

* * *

 **On the way to Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

"Are we there yet?"

"Mako, did you sleep?!"

The four Chosen girls were panting, but glad to be done.

The whole field around them was one huge fog, made of numerous clouds of sparkling dust. Golden, red, blue, and silver-white colors floated around. Saori collapsed unto the ground, kneeling.

"Man!" she groaned. "I had to fight AND carry Mako around!"

Mako peeked, pretending to be asleep.

 _Fight and carry me around_ , Mako thought. _Fight and make me...useless._

"Saori-chan," Hana said. "Don't worry about her. We need to protect her, you know?"

"But come on!" Saori groaned. "I cannot believe that I have to help her out, for crying out loud!"

"You have to help me out," Mako whispered, so low that even Saori did not hear her. She knew fully that Chosen Ones could hear better, so she almost mouthed her words.

"Anyway," Miho said, getting her friends' attention. "We have to go somewhere safer."

"But do we know how to do that?" asked Yukari.

"And what if they come back again?" Hana pointed out.

The girls all tensed up, watching the sky.

Nothing happened.

Then, suddenly, an earthquake struck, then stopped.

None of the purple balls of sickly energy fell after that.

Miho and her girls sighed in relief.

"Hmm," Miho said. "I wonder if that was a sign that the Orb stopped attacking us?"

"I believe so," Hana replied. "Because...there aren't any more of the violet monstrosities."

The others nodded in agreement, as the field that they were in was now cleansed. No vestige of the purple pool, or of the monsters, remained.

"But," Saori sighed. "We've been so focused on fighting these new enemies, we forgot to even think about them!"

"How about Mako?" Hana suggested. "She knows more."

"Oh yeah!" Saori uttered. "You're right! Mako, what do you think? Mako?"

"Hmm? Oh," she responded. "These monsters are unusual. They appear to be based on zombies, but more mutated, like the Orcs we encountered before."

They all shivered.

"I suspect so," Miho said, thinking deeply. "They sure are powerful, but also abnormal. They do not seem to be zombies...but something..."

Miho breathed deeply.

"...genetically modified," she finished.

Everybody shivered, this time more violently.

"W-wait," Saori stuttered. "C-can it-"

Saori suddenly fell down, sighing.

"Are you alright?!" Miho suddenly asked, coming to her aid.

"Oh," she groaned. "Sorry, my legs suddenly gave way. I think I am tired..."

Mako, however, said nothing, her face blank.

"Yeah," Yukari said. "We better get going. Aren't we close to Santa Maria?"

They all looked, except Mako, who still listened.

"We are close," Miho said. "Girls, let's get going."

* * *

 **On an abandoned farm...**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Miho entered the lonely house, inspecting.

"Anyone here?" she called out, her chainsaw sword raised. The sword's bright light shone, showing the interior as empty. Everything inside shone golden bright, as the light drove away any vestige of darkness. In fact, the sword's whirling saws radiated out small balls of light, which floated around the place, lighting up even the smallest cracks. Miho could see the interior, as clearly as it was lit.

A dining table stood in the distance in the living room, as still as dead. A red-and-white cloth spread over the table, stained with more red stains on it. On top of the table, plates after plates stood still, with food still laced on it. Miho carefully approached it, and inspected it from a distance.

She sighed.

"Bloody handprints," she noted, shining her blade at the markings on the table. "And the food...looks to be only a few days old."

A few flies flew around the plates, but did not seem to touch the food. Even a huge body of chicken, roasted and barbecued, did not attract any flies; Miho blinked, as even the food looked too good to be true.

Suspecting, she craned in, in order to sniff better.

Just a few meters away, she made a face, and backed away.

"Oh..." she realized. "Did they...try to poison it?!"

She did not recognize the poison, but could tell that it was homemade and toxic. She then looked to the side, noticing an open balcony door. Creeping slowly out, she noted them.

She put her sword to her back, and bowed down.

"May you all rest in peace," she quietly whispered, then backed away. She then went upstairs, in order to check for anyone or anything. She pulled her sword back, the light emitting from it. Now, the lights floated on the second floor, illuminating the smallest cracks around. She then slowly walked around, checking all of the rooms available. She even opened the attic, and looked in.

Nothing.

She sighed, and went up the attic. Noticing a round window, she slowly and carefully opened it, then jumped out from there. Hanging, she then jumped up unto the roof of the farmhouse, and looked around.

Saori was checking a whole field of strawberries nearby, full of ripe, red fruits that looked so enticing, even Miho almost drooled.

"Saori-chan!" she called out.

"Mmm?" Saori mumbled, chewing through a large basket of strawberries (she somehow found an empty, clean basket nearby). "Nood som-thung?"

Miho giggled, as her sharpened ears (due to her Chosen status) obviously understood what she was saying.

"Saori-chan," Miho giggled. "First, focus on searching the fields, please."

Saori groaned.

"Then," she said. "You can collect as many strawberries as you can. For all of us."

Saori's face lit up, and her fans also lit up with her. They flapped with enthusiasm, spreading fiery ember-like sparks all around.

"You really look like a rooster," Hana remarked from a distance.

Saori pouted and rapidly picked up the strawberries, using her fans to carefully and rapidly cut the vines, and scoop up the strawberries.

"Saori-chan," Miho called out. "Did you...wash the berries?"

Saori showed her a pitcher of water, and went back to scooping more fruits, while washing them at the same time. Miho felt a sweat drop on her head, finding her quite...amusing. She then looked at Hana.

Hana, meanwhile, was doing...something with a garden field full of cauliflowers, spinaches, broccolis, and lettuce. She swung her naginata, apparently trying to control the plants.

Nothing happened.

She blinked, then commenced using her enhanced senses and reflexes to create something out of the leaves from the plants. Plus, she gathered up dandelions and other colorful flowers nearby, especially from wildflowers.

"Excellent," she said, looking back at Miho, who was sweating a little at the sight. "How is this, Miho-san?"

"Hana-chan..." Miho giggled. "Why did you make a whole ikebana display out of...edible plants and weeds?"

Hana created essentially a whole field made up of leaves and flowers. In fact, Miho saw that she created it to look like one gigantic rose, except mostly green!

"Hana-chan," Miho said, smirking nervously. "Please focus on searching this area, then gather up food and...do your thing."

Hana nodded, then wielded her naginata around, as she tried to find any possible threat.

"Hmm," Miho pondered. "It appears that Hana can only control plants to fight, and not to make them grow or something."

She then turned her attention to Yukari, and gawked.

"Yukari..." Miho moaned.

"Get over here!" Yukari roared, running at the thousands of cattle. They were all running away from her, while she was trying to catch them.

"MOOOO!" the cattle bellowed, running around inside of their enclosure.

"Calm down!" she roared, trying to round them up.

"Yukari-chan..." Miho shook her head, giggling a little. She then jumped down, and charged at Yukari.

"Yukari!" she called out. "That's not how you round up the cattle!"

"Help me out, please!" Yukari called out, as she managed to catch a cattle by the horns. It shook, trying to wrestle free.

Miho looked around, and saw a bundle of hay. She raised her sword with her right hand, sliced it, and put up some of the hay on a feedlot.

"Here!" Miho cried out, clapping her hands. "Food-food-food!"

The cattle immediately stampeded towards her, with Yukari being dragged along.

"H-hey!" she groaned, as the animals crowded over the feedlots.

Miho smiled, as the bovine animals feasted with alacrity.

"Moo," the animals bellowed happily. "Moo!"

"Aw..." Yukari groaned, as she let go of her animal and rubbed her hair in frustration. "I cannot believe it! They did not crowd over when I put the feed. When you did, they swarmed over you!"

Miho giggled.

"I guess you just give them the right hay," she said, inspecting the animals. "Hmm, these are nice and robust. They are good to eat, after we check around."

Yukari opened her jaws wide.

"Amazing," she whispered. "Animals crowd over her, despite her being an...omnivore. How is that possible?"

She got into thinking so hard, that she did not notice a cow that stumbled behind her, ramming her a little.

In response, Yukari immediately slammed it down with a downward punch, immediately killing it.

"Oops!" she realized what she had done. "So-sorry, Nishizu..."

The animals kept eating from the lot, oblivious to what just happened. Miho shook her head, but smiled.

"Yukari-chan," Miho said. "We did not need to eat straightaway, but oh well, that's plenty of fresh beef for all of us."

Miho went to feeding the animals, petting them like dogs. Yukari gawked, amazed at the paradox.

"Are Nishizumis like this?" Yukari pondered, as Saori and Hana came. Saori was carrying two baskets full of strawberries, while Hana hanged a giant bag of freshly picked vegetables on her naginata.

"Yikes," Saori said. "You just smashed the cow with one blow!"

"Well," Hana remarked. "At least it's food for us."

"Thanks," Yukari said. "Man, it's amazing how we function differently, now that we're Chosen."

The four girls all nodded to each other.

"Say," Miho said. "Where is Mako?"

They looked around. They saw no one around.

"Mako?" they asked. "Mako? MAKOOO!"

* * *

Birds chirped around, as they flew around it. The vineyard dominated about a third of the farmland that surrounded the farmhouse. Its fresh, purple grapes shone in the blazing sun above. Despite the abundance of fruits, birds seemed reluctant to fly down.

Beneath one of the dense growths of the grapevines, a lonely figure knelt down, her face into her lap. She was silent.

Suddenly, the birds flew away, as a giant silhouette flew by, croaking.

She looked up, and sighed.

"Well," she sighed. "How am I useful?"

 _"Man!"_ she heard Saori's voice echo inside of her brain. _"I had to fight AND carry Mako around!"_

"Feeling useless, eh?" Mako pondered out loud to herself.

She put her head back into her lap, thinking.

"Useless..." she mumbled.

 _"But come on!"_ Saori's voice echoed inside of her. _"I cannot believe that I have to help her out, for crying out loud!"_

"For crying out loud," she mumbled.

"For crying out loud..."

"For crying out LOUD!"

She kicked into thin air, standing up. She then reached for a bunch of grapes, gobbling them.

For the first time ever, she felt tears streaming down.

"For crying out loud!" she mumbled, grapes inside of her mouth. She chewed them, angrily.

"For crying out loud!" she angrily groaned, stuffing more grapes into her mouth.

She then sat down again, chewing with her mouth full.

"She..." Mako mumbled, after sitting for a while, her mouth stained with purple residue from the grapes. "She's right...I am indeed...useless."

She then looked up at the sky. An eagle flew overhead, croaking and screeching. She sighed.

"Well then," she decided, getting up. "If I cannot become Chosen now, then I have to put myself in a situation where I will become one!"

"Saori," she said out loud. "Thanks for that; I need something to help me grow up. I am tired of feeling like a loser. I am tired of feeling like a weakling. But you...you actually inspired me!"

Mako slapped herself, clearing her throat.

"OK!" she said to herself. "In order to do that, I have to be in a risky situation, where I will almost at risk of death! First, Miho saved Liuyang from a horde of zombies, and both were almost overrun by the zombies! Second, Saori and Hana both were attacked by the Absorber, even cutting off their own legs just to save Miho! And third, Yukari almost lost her life, in order to save me..."

Mako went out of her shade, and breathed in some deep, fresh air.

"...which is obvious," she said to herself. "What I have to do."

She then looked up. The eagle was still flying overhead, and Mako squinted her eyes at it.

"Yup," she noted. "It's no ordinary eagle."

She waved at it, and it flew down. The eagle perched on top of a large pole on the vine fence, looking almost as big as Mako herself.

"What is it you want?" the eagle croaked.

Mako smirked.

"Take me to a zombie you're having a problem with," she uttered.

The eagle opened its eyes wide. It shivered, its shiny, white head glowing brilliantly in the sun.

"A dangerous decision," said the eagle. "And how did you know?"

"I guess it's fate or something," Mako said. "If God or gods want me to do this, I am going."

"But how do you know?" asked the eagle, startled. "No human ever was able to listen to my thoughts before."

"Let's just say," Mako said, smirking. "We humans have some...uncanny intuition."

"Mako!"

Both the eagle and Mako turned to look.

"Let's get going," Mako said. "Let me ride you."

"You know," the eagle croaked, spreading out its body and hopping unto the ground. "You are either risky-smart, or stupid-smart."

"I am both," Mako replied. "I just want to become Chosen."

The eagle grinned, as Mako piggybacked on its back. It grunted, as it stood up.

"Ready?" it croaked.

Mako nodded, and it took off.

"Fly higher," Mako called out.

"Why?"

"Chosen Ones can see me more easily," she answered. "Fly high, and take me to whatever you have a problem with."

"Well," the eagle croaked. "The tiger and I have a problem with one specific zombie..."

"Go ahead," she replied, determination etched on her face. "Go."

* * *

"Mako! Where are you?!"

Saori and Hana both called out, looking for her. While Yukari and Miho stayed behind to prepare their lunch, the other two were searching for Mako.

"Where is she?!" Saori pondered. "She cannot be this far away!"

"She is the smart type," said Hana. "She definitely is far away from the danger zone."

Both heard a screech, and looked up.

"Isn't that..." Saori gasped.

"The same eagle from before," Hana remarked, her eyes analyzing it. "Yes, it is. The same bald eagle that saved us from before, along with the tiger."

Suddenly, it went down.

"What is it doing?" Saori asked.

"Let us not hurry," Hana said. "Let the eagle be; it might be attacking a zombie..."

She trailed off, as she and Saori both stared at each other.

"Eh..." Saori gasped.

Suddenly, they saw the eagle flying up, higher and faster than usual.

"Huh?" both asked each other, surprised at the eagle's sudden change of pace.

"Did it," began Saori. "Go up that-"

"Saori-chan! Hana-chan!"

Both looked back, seeing Miho and Yukari. Both ran with their weapons fully activated.

"What is going on?" Saori asked.

"Saori-chan," she replied, with determination and concern on her voice. "Mako is trying to become Chosen."

"Eh?"

At first, both Saori and Hana were confused by Miho's words.

"That eagle," Miho said. "Took off with Mako on its back. I know what it's doing, and why Mako is riding on it."

Then, both girls gasped, and Saori screamed.

"Mako!" she roared, summoning her war fans, which blazed with energy. "You-you! No! She would NEVER do something like that?!"

"Hold your head," Miho said, grabbing her by the shoulders to restrain Saori. "I know that Mako is not the type to get into danger, but seeing that she's the only non-Chosen member..."

Miho looked away, while Saori gasped in horror.

"She knows," Miho said, looking back again. "That the only way one becomes Chosen...is to be in danger, just like all of us did."

"But she's deliberately doing so!" Saori shouted, holding her as if having a headache. "It was never intentional!"

"It was," Miho said. "Yukari deliberately put her life at risk, while you two saved me. I became Chosen upon saving Liuyang. And now, Mako is looking for that same situation. Apparently, the eagle needed help, so she accepted it."

"Oh no..." Saori groaned, as Hana summoned her naginata, waving it around.

"Girls," Miho said. "Let us follow the eagle."

* * *

 **Somewhere in a semi-forested area...**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

"We're landing soon," the eagle said, dropping down. "Hello?"

Mako shivered, holding unto the eagle's back with desperation.

"I-I-I..." she shook. "I-I-I forgot to-to-to tell you..."

"You're..." the eagle croaked, but saw something in the distance. "Hang on."

It dived down, rapidly descending upon a semi-forested area of Santa Maria. As she held on for dear life, Mako heard a distant roar.

"Tiger," the eagle croaked. "It's in trouble."

Mako peeked, trying to avoid seeing any evidence of being in the air, but ducked in.

"Tiger!" it croaked. "We're coming for you!"

"Raaauuuggghhhh!" a roar echoed, louder this time.

The eagle suddenly hiccuped, hovering in the air before setting on top of a tree branch.

"You-you OK?" Mako asked.

"Oh no..." the eagle croaked. "It's..."

The eagle then soared again, and the two went closer and closer towards another part of the city. Most buildings were not very tall, but looked fashionable. However, since the apocalypse, the roads were a mess. Mako noticed that there were virtually no humans or even zombies to be found on the streets.

"I..." the eagle croaked, sadness in its tone as it perched down, letting Mako climb down.

"What's...wrong?" Mako asked.

"It's...gone," the eagle moaned.

"What..." Mako gasped, trailing off as she saw what had transpired.

In the distance, in a rather empty lawn field, a tiger lied on the ground, coughing out blood. Just a few meters away, an unusually well-dressed zombie stood by, slurping what looked like blood.

Mako grimaced at the sight.

"The tiger," Mako stuttered. "From...before?"

"The same tiger as the one before," the eagle replied, sighing. "That zombie...is no ordinary one. Even we talking animals have a hard time taking it down."

Mako thought of what to do.

 _No way_ , she thought. _Thought this was going to be easy. But even I admit...this is risky! But what to do..._

She then looked around, and sighed.

"Take me down there," she said.

"What?"

"Take me down there," Mako commanded. "Let me confront this."

The eagle sighed.

"As you wish," the bald eagle barked. "But note: I am not at fault for this."

"I know," she said, as the eagle flew down with her on its back.

It then dropped unto the ground, and Mako jumped out. The eagle immediately flew up to a perch, leaving Mako alone in the field...

* * *

Mako then stared down at the zombie, while the body of the tiger lied nearby. The eagle continued to watch, eyeing her and the zombie.

"OK..." Mako said. "Here I go."

She carefully approached the zombie, which was doing...something. Mako eyed it, observing that it was eating something...

...or more like, sucking something.

Her right foot accidentally broke a twig, making an audible crack.

The zombie then turned, and Mako gawked and froze.

"G-g-gh..." she gasped. "Ghoul."

It looked like a lean, almost skeletal human. However, it head had a protruding jaw, looking like an ape, with sharp fangs and tusks that had bloodstains on them. Behind it, a corpse was half-eaten, and Mako realized that it was already dead; the ghoul was merely scavenging on freshly buried corpses. From what little she knew about the undead, a Ghoul was a mythical monster that consumed corpses from graves. Hence, she realized that it was a Ghoul, because of the dead body, and the fact that a nearby gravestone was desecrated.

"Dead humans," it croaked. "Taste OK..."

It then stalked towards her, who then backed away. Then, she stopped and stared down at it.

"But," it said. "The living...are better than the dead."

"Then why even kill me?" Mako asked.

"Eh?" it croaked.

"If you kill me," Mako explained. "Then, I am dead, and my flesh will still rot."

"But yours is fresh and warm," it moaned. "While the cadaver behind me is cold and stiff."

"But either way," Mako said. "My body will turn cold and suffer from rigor mortis."

"Eh?"

"Rigor mortis," Mako explained. "It's when dead human bodies become stiff, due to a lack of a special chemical called ATP."

It blinked, then growled. Mako tried to stay strong, as the blank, white eyes started to turn bloodshot.

"Well then," the ghoul groaned, his speech changing completely, resembling more that of a human. "You seem like quite the smart one...follow me. I have something to show you."

"What is it?" she asked, suspicious. She shivered, shocked by the unusually human-ness of the zombie's voice.

"There is an orphanage here," it snickered. "And I left them alone, in order to come back to it later..."

Mako gasped, realizing what it was implying.

"OK," she said, hiccuping. "Take me there."

The zombie then snickered, and crawled on all four limbs, waddling like a predatory monkey. Mako carefully followed suit, before checking the tiger.

"You OK?" she asked.

No answer.

Then...

"You..." it groaned. "Just go...and do what...you are meant to do."

Mako nodded, then followed the zombie. She then turned around.

" _Panthera tigris_ ," she said. "Stay strong."

It only grunted, as she followed the zombie.

" _Panthera tigris_ ," the eagle croaked, flying down to check as the two disappeared into a street. "The un-Chosen girl sure has a lot of nerves to do that."

"I know not why," the tiger grunted. "But she's doing something."

"And I thought you're dead," the eagle hissed. "Why not even respond?"

"Fear," the tiger moaned. "Fear. I admire that girl. She's weaker than I, yet has the nerve to stand up against the undead."

"Fear not," said the eagle. "I remember some humans saying that, only to be overwhelmed."

"It is not the zombies that overwhelmed them," the tiger groaned.

"Eh?"

"It's selfishness and pride," moaned the beast, before coughing and resting its head. "Need to sleep."

The eagle said nothing, as it perched on top of the tiger, scanning around its surroundings. Suddenly, it felt it.

"You..." it hissed. "The same monster from before...one of those revived. Why are you..."

It trailed off, as the massive silhouette of a bipedal monster crashed through. It hid behind an alley, then poked out its giant jaw. White, sharp teeth shone in the sunlight above, as the creature watched Mako and the zombie move away.

"Good luck," said the eagle. "I wish you well."

* * *

"You are a clever girl," the ghoul growled. "Consider yourself fortunate; I am giving you...an ultimatum."

Mako cautiously followed the zombie, as it crawled towards a house. At first, it looked empty. Then, Mako gasped.

She saw a few faces peeking out of the windows, and all of them ducked inside.

"You know," the ghoul croaked. "These little orphans are all inside. I originally wanted to eat them, but they seem a little...malnourished. So, I decide to let them..."

It pointed, and Mako saw that a local store was looted. Almost all of the food inside seemed gone, especially the candy bars.

"Eat them all," the ghoul said. "Even we zombies have standards. Well, the smarter ones. We do not bother with lean ones, or those about to die. They taste bad and don't have much...'nutritional value.'"

Mako shivered, sweating.

"However," he grunted. "Those orphans, now well-fed, are now...succulent, and full of despair."

Mako looked at the orphanage building, then at the zombie.

"What is your point?" she asked, eyeing the zombie with suspicion. Whatever it was getting at, it wasn't good at all.

"You are quite lean," said the ghoul. "But I feel...some energy inside of you. I think that...sucking that energy of yours will give me far more power than all of these orphans."

"So," Mako sweated. "Are you saying..."

The ghoul grinned, its canine, cracked teeth revealing lingering bloodstains and bits of flesh.

"That's right," the ghoul said. "You in their place, how about that?"

"And why me?" asked Mako, sweating. "And not anyone else?"

"You feel...somewhat different from the normal humans," the ghoul said, cracking its fists. "You may not know this, but we zombies have something...like a sixth sense. Nobody, not even the Chosen Ones, knows about it."

"Eh?"

The ghoul suddenly dropped on all fours and leaped towards Mako, hands outstretched and mouth open to bite her, its canine teeth on full display. Mako barely managed to avoid the attack, diving on her right and scraping her elbow a bit on the asphalt, which bleeded a few drops of blood on the road's gray asphalt.

"Ouch!" she groaned, as she quickly got up and started running away from the ghoul. She might have accepted its offer, but she didn't know if it will keep it. For now, she had to lead it as far from the orphanage as possible, in order to give the kids a chance of escaping.

"Ah, the smell of your blood is so enticing," the ghoul smirked, smelling the air. "Very well, let's see for how low long you can keep running!"

It roared with laughter, before it dropped on all fours again and started chasing Mako, like a predator chasing after its prey.

Mako kept running and running, passing between abandoned cars, frantically looking all around her for a place to hide, but a voice quickly interrupted her search.

"Gotcha!"

Mako barely managed to duck again, before the ghoul passed above her, its hands inches away from grabbing Mako's head. As it lands on the street, it barreled for a few meters, before stopping and getting up. It stretched its shoulders, smirking.

"You are a normal human being, yet you are more elusive than the special ones," it said and Mako widened her eyes in surprise.

"W-What did you just say?" she stuttered, taking a few steps backwards.

"Oops, I said too much. Though, it seems you are in an awful state," it said, noticing Mako's heavy panting and sluggish posture. "I guess it is time for you to uphold your end of the deal."

Smirking again, it walked towards her on its two, willowy legs.

 _I need to get out fast!_ Mako thought.

Looking all around her, she spotted an alleyway, that was T-shaped in the end, on her left, and instantly ran into it, her body aching everywhere.

"Clinging to hope till the end," the zombie grunted, shaking its head slowly. "There is no fun, if you don't feel despair!"

Its voice echoed all over the place, followed by a mad laugh.

Mako just kept running for dear life, not even looking back to see if she was still being pursued or not. Reaching the end, she instinctively turned left and kept running. So many thoughts were passing through her head, mainly that she wanted to live.

 _Gotta think about Chosen later!_ she thought, assuming that she could try next time.

However, she wanted to become stronger, to be useful to the girls. She had come this far, eating grapes from an American vineyard, flying in the back of a giant eagle, getting chased by a blood-thirsty ghoul that could talk with the intellect of a human; what was one or two near-death experiences thrown into the mix? Spotting an alleyway, intersecting with the one she was currently in, she turned left into that alleyway.

Unfortunately for her, things took a turn for the worse.

As Mako entered the other alleyway, she felt something sharp cutting through her right side, the force of this hit being enough to cause her body to rotate and crash into the wall with her back.

"Aaaarghh!" she screamed, instantly clasping her left hand over where she was hit, and she could feel something wet and warm gushing from her wound, seeping through the openings between her fingers and down the ground. Gritting her teeth, and putting all of her strength to her feet, she used the wall she just crashed into as a support to rise. Getting up, she spotted the ghoul at her left, so she starts limping towards the right, where the alleyway she had entered became darker, a trail of blood marking her path.

"After all this, you still won't give into despair," the ghoul said, looking at Mako and the sorry state she was currently in. "But try as you might, you won't become a Chosen."

Mako stopped dead on her tracks, and slowly turned around, her eyes wide open, her body trembling slightly. The ghoul seemingly flash-stepped in front of her and slashed upwards with its sharp fingernails, striking Mako from the lower abdomen, and into the upper area of her chest.

Blood splattered everywhere, from her body and clothes, to the ground, walls and trash cans in the alleyway. Maho fell down on the ground, bleeding all over her wounds, the pain being too much to even scream.

The ghoul then approached with a twisted grin on its face, as Mako managed to gather enough strength to utter a single word.

"H-How..." she croaked, looking at the beautiful azure sky that hovered above everything.

"I know about the Chosen?" it snickered, before making a serious expression. "Do you know who I am?"

"H-huh?" she asked, and saw.

He then took something out of her pockets, but noticed a few things, such as a needle.

However, that was not what made her gasp. She saw something else from its pouch, and it was a name tag with a name on it.

Mako's sharp eyes read it, and she gasped in horror.

"Ru..." Mako gasped. "Rudo-"

Then, everything went black for her.

* * *

 **Somewhere in a semi-forested area...**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

"Miho?"

The four girls were leaping in the direction of where they last saw the eagle drop down. As they were approaching, Miho suddenly felt...something.

She clenched her chest, something filling in her eyes.

"Miho-san?" Hana asked, who was the first one to notice.

"Miporin?" Saori asked, looking.

"Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari loudly asked, waving at Miho's face.

Miho continued to clench her chest, feeling something...ominous.

She suddenly dashed out, running and jumping towards where they last saw the eagle drop.

"WE NEED TO GO NOW!" Miho cried out, her voice suddenly booming.

The others backed away, startled. Recovering quickly, they looked at each other, their faces growing anxious.

Saori gasped.

"You don't say-"

"LET"S GOOOO!" Yukari roared, as she sprinted to follow Miho, and the others quickly followed suit.

Miho summoned her sword, revving it up to a maximum power. The blade was blazing with an immense amount of energy, whirling like a tornado.

"Mako..." she gasped. "Hang-hang in there!"

Miho then jumped on top of a house, and saw that she was in a suburban neighborhood. Despite the street being littered with abandoned cars, the houses were clean and shiny, their painted timber shining with a bright tint. Pleasantly colored houses of all shapes and sizes, ranging from a Victorian-style house to a futuristic-looking one, with swirling staircases, dotted the place. However, Miho was not interested in those.

"Where is she?" she gasped. "Ma-Mako!"

She then charged her legs, the energy flowing through. She then made a colossal leap; her friends gawked, as she jumped all the way to a semi-forested area.

"Miporin!" Saori said, summoning her war fans. "Don't leave us like that!"

Miho, however, then landed on an office building, then looked around.

"Where are you?" she gasped, feeling something painful inside of her.

 _Help..._

A voice echoed inside of her, no. It echoed inside...of her heart. Miho clenched her chest tight.

"Mako!" she shouted. "Hang in there!"

 _I am...fine._

"Hang in there!" she screamed, running in the direction of the voice. After what felt like miles, Miho stumbled upon another street, littered with cars as usual. However, she noticed an orphanage building, looking a little run-down and with a crowd of children outside.

Miho instinctively dashed towards them, vanishing her sword in order to minimize fear. They all saw her, but sobbed and crowded together in fear.

"G-girls!" she gasped, noticing the kids outside. "W-what are you doing here? It's too dangerous to stay outside!"

The tallest of them, who appeared to be the oldest and the most mature, sniffed. All of the kids also sniffed and cried.

"We saw her," she merely said. "She...sacrificed for us...for a zombie..."

Miho froze.

"Girls!" Miho called out, as her friends drew near.

"Y-yes?" they asked.

"Come with me!" she shouted. "And girl, where did she go?"

She merely pointed.

"Saori! Hana!" she shouted.

"Yes?" they responded.

"Watch the kids," she said. "Yukari and I will go after her!"

They nodded, and the two took off in the direction the girls pointed. Saori sighed, and looked at the kids.

"Are you all..." Saori started, but trailed off, as she saw the ripped sign with one word:

ORPHANAGE

"We are orphans," the oldest girl said. "I-I am Emily. We-we saw her...run-running away from...here...to lure...a scary zombie away."

She looked down.

"Oh no..." Hana gasped, covering her mouth.

Saori, however, shook. Then, she breathed, and summoned her war fans.

"Hana," she whispered. "I am going."

"W-wait," Hana began. "What about-"

"I need to talk with Mako," she said. "While she still has time."

Hana stood still. Then, she slowly nodded, as the ginger-haired girl dashed in the direction where Miho and Yukari went.

"I wish you well," Hana said, walking to a crack in the road. She spotted a single red flower blossoming.

She picked it up, knowing what it was. She looked at it, touching its blood-red petals and stamens, which almost looked like bent limbs raised to the sky.

"Higanbana," she mumbled. "Red spider lily, the flower of death...and mourning."

She wept, praying with her eyes closed and head bowed down.

"Please..." she whispered, a single tear falling down. "I hope...this is just...nothing bad."

* * *

Miho and Yukari both ran and ran, weapons in hand. Miho's chainsaw whirled and buzzed furiously, while Yukari's gloves were clenched into giant fists.

"Mako!" Miho called out. "Mako, we're coming!"

 _I feel..._

Miho clenched her chest, feeling pain.

"Hang in there!" she called out again, as she and Yukari both ended up in a T-shaped alleyway.

"Where did they-" Yukari began, but Miho dashed to the left. She immediately followed suit.

"Mako!" Miho called out, tears falling out suddenly. A few of them hit Yukari from behind.

"Te-tears?!" Yukari gasped, as she ran as hard as possible.

 _Careful..._

Suddenly, Miho stopped.

"Get ready," she commanded in a low whisper, her weapon slowly revving. Yukari nodded, as she followed Miho from behind. Miho held her back to a nearby wall. She and Yukari both peeked towards another alleyway, right around the corner of the left wall.

Yukari resisted the urge to vomit, as she spotted a trail of blood.

"That's Mako's blood," Miho whispered.

"Oh no..." Yukari gasped.

"Steady," Miho said. "I will check; don't assume she's dead, until I say so."

Yukari gulped, a little too loudly. Miho then stepped out, her sword raised and flashing. The light from it revealed the whole dark alley, and she saw...everything.

The garbage cans, which spilled their own blood and entrails as trash...

The floor, strewn with litter like bloodstains...

And the trail of blood, leading up to-

"Mako!" Miho shouted, approaching the figure.

Mako's figure was still on the ground, but bloody all over, like a broken doll. Her uniform showed signs of being ripped apart, and Miho's eyes started to tear up, as she saw it. A multitude of emotions jumbled through her mind right now, too many to count. Yet there was one thing that was making her feel a certain... _emotion_ boiling inside of her.

She picked her up, and saw it.

On the left side of her neck...was a U-shaped bite.

"Ma-Mako..." Miho stammered, kneeling besides her.

"Mi-Mi...ho," Mako replied weakly. "I-I am sorry...for making...you worried."

Mako suddenly coughed, and Miho found a bit of blood on her hands. She was coughing blood.

Tears about to pour out from her eyes, Miho picked up Mako's bloodied hands.

"I-I..." Mako said. "I guess...I did not make...it."

Miho held her hands together, as her golden dust began to flow around Mako.

Then, it disappeared.

Miho stared, eyes wide in horror, but Mako just sighed.

"I guess..." Mako said. "Your powers only heal those who...can be saved in time."

Tears poured out from Miho's eyes, as she cried in silence. Yukari sniffed a few meters away from them, wiping away her own tears.

"Don't say things like that, Mako!" Miho yelled at her, tears running down her cheeks and falling to the ground. "Everyone deserves a chance to be saved!"

She shook Mako, who was breathing hard. Yukari sniffed audibly, while the alleyway felt...empty. Even the wind stopped blowing.

"M-Miho..." Mako said, giving her something from out of her right pouch.

Miho slowly reached, and took it.

It was a heart-shaped locket, which suddenly opened. Suddenly, Miho felt like her heart had been crushed.

"NO!" Miho roared, crying. "Mako, please!"

In the locket was the picture of Mako, smiling with her grandmother by her side.

"Te-tell obaa...san," she stammered. "That I-"

Miho hugged her, doing what she could to keep her alive.

"Don't die on us!" Miho screeched. "PLEASE!"

"Mi-Miho..." she stammered.

"Don't say it!" Miho roared, crying. "Mako, hold on! You are going to be fine! Y-you will get healed and then we'll all go find the O-Orb and go home and have lots of s-sweets and c-cakes..."

Miho sniffed, stuttering with emotion. She faced Mako's bloodstained face, trying to smile, but could not.

"J-just..." Miho stuttered. "Please, d-don't give up now!"

She held Mako tight, as her hands glowed a golden color.

"Just..." Mako said with a smile, her breath growing raspy. "Well, you are...Miho, after all."

Mako slowly hugged Miho with her bloody hands, as Miho continued to weep.

"Hmm..." an audible grunt echoed in front of them.

Yukari and Miho all looked up. A figure stood before them, hunched back on top of an iron fence. It then leaped down, causing Miho to raise her sword with her right hand, while holding Mako with the other. Yukari stood by her side, with fists raised in a fighting stance.

"Who are you?" Yukari roared. "What did you do to Mako?"

"Testing something on her," it grunted. "Remember me?"

The two girls blinked.

"Re-remember?" Mako whispered, breathing heavily. "The video of Rudolf? Being killed?"

Miho looked at her, then at the zombie, which then revealed a name tag with a name etched on. She gasped.

"Rudolf?!" Miho gasped.

"Rudolf?" Yukari asked. "Wait a minute...Rudolf the scientist who committed suicide with that necklace thing?!"

"Indeed," the zombie moaned, crouching down like a tiger ready to strike. "Although I am now a zombie, I still have some...life. And Mako let me have hers, in return for sparing the orphans."

It grinned.

"You..." Miho hissed, raising her sword. "Even if you are a zombie, you still have free will! You should know better than doing such things!"

The zombie smirked, shrugging. Both girls grew indignant, their weapons glowing. Miho's chainsaw whirled faster and faster, golden sparks flying all over the place. Yukari's gloves made metallic sounds, and then silver-white spikes came out of them.

"Well," the zombie said. "Once I realized that I was now a zombie, I was no longer human, so I am no longer bound by any... _human_ morals."

Miho's eyes grew with fury, as her sword whirled even faster. Now, magenta sparks flew out of them, in addition to the golden ones. A few blue, white, and especially red sparks flew out.

"But look at us!" Miho roared. "We are now Chosen, hence not really human! Yet we choose to do the right thing! And here you are, using your zombified state to justify murder?!"

Miho felt the same mysterious emotion from before boiling inside her again; this time, however, it was about to spill out.

The zombie merely shrugged, with a face lacking remorse.

"And what if I do?" he grinned slyly, which was the final nail in the coffin.

Both girls had it.

"Yukari," Miho said with a truly dark expression, her eyes full of silent indignance. "Get him."

Yukari dashed at him, striking a punch with uncommon speed and ferocity. Like Miho, Yukari was indignant, but held back until Miho told her to.

Suddenly, she flew away, hitting a building about 300 meters away.

"Ouch!" she roared.

Miho kept her sword raised, while trying to keep Mako alive. Her eyes widened in shock at the impact.

"What..." she gasped, as she turned her gaze back at Rudolf.

"You are Chosen," the zombified Rudolf grunted. "But I, Rudolf, am still a scientist. While being a zombie, I found ways to...enhance myself."

"But how?" Miho asked. "We saw you die!"

"Ah," he snickered. "That Nicolae guy, eh? Well, before I take you all down, let me tell you something."

Miho said nothing, but let Rudolf continue, knowing that he would know about something important, even crucial.

"You see," he said. "I bit your friend, then injected her with an experimental vaccine, as I claimed to have made to Nicolae. Well, it did not work, as you can see."

Miho looked at her. Mako's face was starting to turn slightly blue, and her eyes were clouding a little. She also saw something she did not notice; right next to the zombie bite mark was a minute hole, where a hypodermic needle went through.

"How dare you!" Miho shouted, tears falling down. "Do you-you even kno-kno-AUGH!"

She shook her head violently, holding Mako tightly. Her golden lights tried to heal Mako, but all to no avail. They kept falling away...

"Now-now," Rudolf said casually, grunting before continuing. His indifferent demeanor made Miho feel angry; never before she felt so angry in her life. She gritted her teeth, calming herself down, although she was more than willing to strike him at a moment's notice.

"The PAMC," he said in a clear, human voice. "Will want to find the Orb, and acquire it to take over the world. Plus, they realize that one of the Chosen Ones is...unusual. They're looking for her."

Miho kept silent, gritting her teeth still. Her eyes, however, were glaring at him.

"As zombies," he continued. "Are created by the Orb, we can feel its...'emotion,' you could say. The Orb...is scared of that Chosen too, for reasons unknown to me as of now."

"W-what about the Chosen Ones?" Miho shouted, holding Mako close in order to keep her alive. The golden lights still faded away from Mako's body.

Mako was barely breathing, with some life still inside. However, she was panting a little harder now.

"Yes, about that," he continued. "The Chosen Ones are all girls, all become one by doing something righteous when they are at risk of death, and when they get their Hands of God. Well, in your friend's case...she met all of the requirements, except finding her Hand of God."

He then laughed maniacally. Miho held herself still, boiling over with righteous rage. Her sword's sawteeth spun so fast, that they were now a literal blur. Sparks blew out of her sword like the eruption of a volcano.

"He-he's right," Mako said. "I-I..."

"Mako!" Miho said. "Save your breath! You need to live! Right now, focus on-"

A sudden blast of fire flew from the sky, striking at the zombie like a bird of prey. Saori shot towards Rudolf from the rooftop of one of the buildings, diving at him like a comet, her eyes wide open and full of rage.

"YOU!" she screeched. "I'M GONNA TURN YOU TO CINDERS!"

Striking Rudolf, waves of intense fire poured out from her war fans, quickly overwhelming the narrow alley. Without thinking and on impulse, Miho instantly touched something on her sword, which summoned a golden deflector shield. It shielded her and Mko from the scorching heat, as the flames devoured everything in their wake, expressing their master's desire to reduce the Ghoul into nothing but ashes.

Taking this rare opportunity, Miho looked at her friend.

She sobbed.

Mako was now almost all-blue, with cracks in her pale skin. Her eyes were clouding all over, and were becoming bloodshot. Her fingers suddenly twitched, and her mouth drooled.

Mako managed to look at Miho, and smiled.

"You better..." she moaned. "Kill me...before-"

"Quit it!" Miho stuttered, hugging her still. Desperate, she let as much power as possible flow into Mako, trying to keep her alive.

"Ah..." Mako groaned. "At...least...I...feel good."

Unfortunately, and once again, the zombie somehow not only survived the hellish flames, but also struck her, causing her to fly away. Just as Yukari was recovering from the sudden attack, Saori's body struck her, causing both to crash into a building. The whole structure cracked, then crashed down upon the girls into a pile of debris, burying them under it.

The flames suddenly dissipated when Saori crashed, and the ghoul merely dusted its ragged clothing, as if it was not really hit at all.

"You are no normal zombie," Miho whispered, her sword raised in hand. The blades continued to spin with extreme speed, sparks around with fury.

"I will-ah!"

The zombie suddenly summoned something, which wrapped around her, causing her to drop both her weapon and Mako. The weapon stopped buzzing, lying down on the ground still, alongside the slumped body of Mako.

"I call it the Demon Rope," he snickered. "A great way to bind you all, and let us watch Mako...turn."

The Demon Rope then tied her to a wall, pinning her in place like a spider's web. The rope wrapped around her, keeping her arms pinned tight.

"Mako!" Miho cried. "Ho-hold on!"

Mako did not answer.

"MAKO!" she roared, and something faint glowed from her chest.

Nobody, not even her or the zombie, noticed that a faint, golden light flickered from her chest, which suddenly disappeared, and glowed dimly on Mako's chest.

"MAKO!" she roared again. "WAKE UP!"

"Uh..." Mako groaned.

"MAKO!"

"Give up already," Rudolf grunted.

"Mako..." Mako moaned. "Me..."

She slowly stood up, swaying back and forth.

"Interesting," Rudolf said. "You are resisting the zombification process quite well. Well, then I have another secret: I am an anti-Chosen specialist zombie."

"Wha?" Mako groaned, her face slowly turning, and feeling as if even her soul was rotting, her humanity quickly vanishing from her body by the seconds. She limped around, the shock affecting her consciousness.

He grinned.

"Some zombies are special," he explained. "I was one of the best ones; I became one with the power to equal even the Chosen Ones. The only way to beat me, ahem, as another sign of 'gratitude' from me, is that a new Chosen One be made right in front of me."

"What kind requirement is that?!" Miho said incredulously, as she kept struggling against the sticky, black rope that was holding her in place.

"Let me explain once more," Rudolf said with a sinister smile. "I have been...'following' you for some time now, so I know all about your powers and how they work."

Miho gawked at him, no words able to escape her mouth.

"Having the necessary information," he continued with a snicker. "I adapted this body of mine, so I could counter your powers, but..."

He paused for a moment, looking at Miho with narrowed eyes.

"But you..." he said in a lower voice. "You proved to be quite the peculiar case, so I created this rope to restrain you, and it worked perfectly!"

"I..." Mako tried to speak, but she felt dizzy. She suddenly stumbled to her left, crashing into a pile of trash that miraculously survived the hellish inferno Saori had unleashed mere minutes ago.

A round toy shield and a whip-like ornament fell down beside her.

"I..." she moaned. She felt the very last bit of her consciousness slipping.

"Mako!" Miho called out. "Hang on! Take them up!"

Without thinking, Mako picked the two up. Rudolf grunted.

"They're not Hands of God," he snickered. "I am not scared."

"Mako!" Miho commanded, trying to keep Mako at least a little...alive. "Try and strike! You're the only one who can save us now!"

"St-str...strike..." she moaned, leaning on her shield like a cane, the miserably useless item to wield like a whip clumsily sitting on her right hand's grip.

Rudolf roared into a maniacal laughter.

"By now," he declared. "It's too late! The zombification has already been done! She's over 90% complete! Nothing can save your precious friend now!"

"The-then..." Mako moaned, stumbling towards him. "Let me...hit you."

"Go ahead!" he smirked. "It will the best thing ever for me! Seeing you finally turn, then striking down your own friends!"

Mako slowly raised her whip-like ornament, then charged at him with her shield.

He blocked her with a single hand, but blinked when he saw her grinning.

"What are you grinning about?" he asked, perplexed by Mako's facial expression.

"You said it yourself, Rudolf," she said, her voice rapidly restoring back to normal.

"Huh?" he gasped, gawking at the sudden change in her voice.

"I am indeed a clever girl," she continued, breathing more normally. "A genius back in my high school. Which means I know how to...bend a rule or two."

As she was talking, some strange ribbons of bluish-black energy started to swirl around her feet. Only Miho noticed this, since Rudolf was too focused on Mako's explanation.

She smiled, sighing in relief.

"As we all know," Mako continued with her grin. "There are some requirements to meet, if one wants to become Chosen. You need to be a girl, do something righteous, have the Hands of God, and your death must be...unavoidable.

Mako's eyes started to get less cloudy, shining brighter, while her skin's color regained its pale, healthy complexion.

Miho sobbed, glad to know what was transpiring. At the tip of her sword's hilt, the four ribbons all started to flicker with energy.

"So what?" Rudolf asked, still confused.

"Nowhere does it say," she continued, smiling. "That the candidate should NOT be turning into a zombie, and we all know that the Chosen Ones can heal and..."

She pointed with her right hand at her left side and chest, where two huge, bleeding wounds were.

Rudolf gawked, as he clearly saw the wounds healing.

"Y-you!" he gasped.

"Guess who has been bleeding to death for the past few minutes," she said with a victorious grin, as the bluish-black energy snaked from her feet and all over her body.

"Th-this is impossible!" he roared. "It can't be happening! I have NEVER seen a Chosen One recover from a zom-zombie bite!"

He backed away from Mako, as the energy that enveloped her body started pulsing. She breathed in, and said one simple phrase:

"Game over."

"NOOOOOOOO!" he roared, as a blast of bluish-black light shone the whole alleyway.

* * *

 **Well-well, what do you know?**

 **I am NOT a fan of killing characters, but boy, that was...emotional and beautiful. The scenes of Miho and Mako were...quite emotional. Even I had to pause multiple times, because it was so...yeah.**

 **So yeah, the story is going to end soon, and thank you to everyone who has been here to read it, including aGuestfromGreece45 and Trex98's input!**

 **And happy Thanksgiving from the US!**

 **I am thankful to God that I am finally writing a story that I hope will inspire me to write more! In fact, this story is perhaps the first long story that I can finally finish! Plus, I am healthy, alive, and well! I also am grateful for the smallest blessings of life, such as clean water, heater, and Internet access.**

 **What about you?**

 **Make sure you review, and please share what you are thankful for on your reviews, too!**


	26. Chapter 26: The Orphan and the Calm

**Finally, the story is-wait, I am not going to say it.**

 **However, now that all five girls are Chosen, the story is going there...**

 **I am not going to say it for now, but some of you may already know what I have in mind.**

 **Let's just get to the point.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 26: The Orphan and the Calm**

 **In a dark alleyway somewhere...**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:45 PM; July 14, 20XX**

Miho's heart skipped a beat.

"Mako..." she whispered, tears of joy falling down.

Mako took a deep breath, as she remained standing still.

She sighed.

"Wow..." Mako finally said it. "I feel...different. Glad this gamble paid off."

Mako looked at herself.

All of her wounds, deep and shallow, were all gone.

"Wounds healed? Check," Mako said in her usual tone, except a little more enthusiastic. "Clothing fixed? Check. Hand of God?"

She looked at her Hand of God, which was really a set of two. On her left was a giant, round shield, which reminded her of the aspis shield of ancient Greece. However, it was bluish-black in the back, and she realized that...

"No handle?" Mako blinked, staring at it.

Instead, there was a bump, which appeared to be supposed to have a handle, but it had none. Instead, the bump stuck to her left arm, as if there was an invisible handle, or that it was...magnetic.

"How odd," she said out loud, looking at it curiously.

Miho, however, stayed silent, letting her enjoy the moment. She sniffed, and Mako's ears sensed her.

"Oh sorry," she said, walking quickly towards her leader.

Miho, however, shook her head.

"Do your thing," Miho said. "I trust you."

Mako blinked, and slowly smiled. She looked back at her weapons again, curious.

Her shield looked like a normal shield in the back. However, the front side was quite ornate, designed to look like a literal tortoiseshell, with scute-like patterns on it, contrasted by the brighter blue boundary lines.

"Black and blue-colored shield," she mused.

In her right hand was a strange...bandage?

"What is this?" she wondered. "A whip with a handle attached?"

She then waved it, and it unwrapped into a metallic whip of sort. The whip-like weapon was also bluish-black like her shield, but less blue and more black. The dark blade shone in the bright sun above, creating an unusual glare.

"It's indeed a whip," she uttered. "But with a metallic edge?"

"No," Miho said, getting her attention. "That is an urumi."

"U-urumi?" Mako asked, slowing approaching her again. "And say, shouldn't I get you down?"

"An urumi is a type of whip-like sword," Miho explained. "Originating in southern India, it is one of the most difficult weapons to master. My mother told me that it is so hard, you can easily scar yourself with it. And...yeah, I think you can help me down-LOOK OUT!"

Mako instinctively jumped to the left, just as the zombie charged at her full speed. He missed by mere inches, and crashed into a nearby wall.

"Now we're even," Mako said with a slight grin.

She then looked up at the Demon Rope that bound Miho to the wall. Her now-enhanced eyes glimpsed what looked like a gap in the rope. Guessing that it was a weak link, she waved her urumi, and it suddenly wiggled all the way up, like a real snake crawling up the wall.

She shivered.

"Man," Mako groaned. "It reminds me of a snake...I hate snakes."

The urumi then touched the weak link, and sliced it. Although the bind did not loosen, Miho felt it weakening.

"Thank you, Mako-chan," Miho said.

Mako shook her head, smiling.

"You can just call me Mako," she replied. "We're more than just friends after all-"

She stopped to block a vicious attack, as Rudolf tried to deliver a sucker punch. Her shield rang in her left arm, the ringing traveling through her arm to her chest and head, making her feel a little dizzy.

"Wow-wow," she said curtly. "That was...weird."

The zombie then jumped back, hissing furiously.

"You ruined my perfect plan!" he hissed, claws bared. "You may be the only one able to defeat me and I may only be a zombie, but I am Rudolf still, an Anti-Chosen monster! Every time I see you fight, I learn and adapt! You have a shield and...what is that weapon?"

 _So he does not know this yet?_ she thought. _Good! This is useful..._

"Just a bandage-like thing of sort," she said, faking innocence as she raised her shield and held it with both of her hands.

"Ah!" he uttered. "Something to enhance the shield? Mwahahaha! Such a weakling you are, that your Hand of God is a mere shield!"

Mako raised an eyebrow at him.

 _This guy is one big loudmouth_ , Mako thought. _Let him do so._

"Commander!" Mako said. "You try and free yourself if you can. I will deal with him..."

Miho blinked, then guessed that Mako did not want to expose Miho's true identity. She nodded, and struggled with her bond, while Rudolf focused on Mako.

"It seems I will have to destroy you the hard way!" he roared. "Then, I will end your-"

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, YOU MONSTER!"

A fiery blast then struck the alleyway. Mako merely put her shield behind, blocking the blazing blast. The zombie also was unfazed, shrugging off the flames. As usual, the flames failed to consume the zombie's flesh.

However, Mako then saw that the zombie was not focused on her; instead, it focused on Saori, who flew out of the pile of debris and was unleashing her power from another building. Yukari was on the ground, cracking her fists.

"Man!" she groaned. "That was one nasty strike, zombie!"

"Like I said," Rudolf said. "I know every single one of your attacks, so there is no point in attacking me!"

"I disagree with your statement."

Rudolf blinked, then looked at where Mako was. The shield was where Mako was standing mere moments ago, lodged into the ground so it could stand upright. However, Mako was missing.

"Boo," she said, standing directly behind Rudolf's back.

Eyes wide open, he turned around, only for Mako to sucker punch _him_.

"Uf!" he moaned, knocked to the ground.

"Friends!" Mako said, trying to shout as loudly as she could. "Rudolf knows your every move, because he was stalking us for the past few days as he claimed. So, he knows your every fighting style and even our powers!"

She then dashed back to her shield, taking it out and raising it in defiance.

"Let me deal with this," she uttered.

"Roger that!" Yukari said, as Saori stopped her rampage and jumped down. Both girls then went to Miho, and tried to cut off the bind.

"It's you and me," Mako said.

The zombie snickered, cracking its fists.

"Bring it on."

Rudolf made his first move, pretending to punch Mako directly. To his shock, Mako put her shield to her right, blocking his punch from the other side, where he was really hitting.

"You have sharp eyes now," he hissed. "But a shield is useless; you don't stand a chance if you can't attack me!"

 _He thinks that the shield is my only weapon_ , Mako thought. _I better give the others some time..._

* * *

As the two dueled, Yukari and Saori both tried to free Miho.

"Man!" Yukari groaned, trying to wrench the bind, while Saori tried to slice the rope.

"This is no ordinary rope!" Miho said. "It was made to specifically restrain us Chosen! Our energies might not be able to damage it!"

"You're right!" Saori admitted, as her fans failed to rip through the strange rope. "Ugh! A zombie that can fight Chosen Ones and make things that trap them?! That's cheating!"

Miho then looked down at her rope, and noticed something.

She smiled.

"Saori-chan, Yukari-chan," she whispered. "Please get away."

"Eh?" the two asked.

"I think I know how to deal with this," she whispered again. "For now, watch Mako to make sure she's alright."

The two nodded, and jumped away to watch the two fight. Rudolf was continually punching Mako, while Mako was blocking every blow with her shield.

 _I have to strike him before he notices that I have an urumi_ , she thought. _But boy is he trying to pummel me! And I feel like a warrior now...though I have to admit, this fight feels so...mundane._

She suddenly yawned behind the shield.

Everybody, even the zombie, gawked at her.

Miho giggled nervously, as she slowly let some of her golden energy filter into a crack in the rope, slowly ripping the bind. Yukari blankly stared, while Saori put her right fan into a facepalm.

"What are you yawning?!" Rudolf roared.

"Eh?" she asked. "Me? You're boring."

That enraged the zombie, who screeched and sped up his punches.

"Boring? BORING?!" he screeched, pummeling the girl's shield even faster. "I'll show you who's BORING!"

Mako let him punch her again and again, shield blocking every strike. Unbeknownst to him, Mako was analyzing him thoroughly.

 _He's of normal stature_...she thought. _But taller, with grayish-blue skin and..._

She blinked, and gasped.

 _They look like weak points!_ she thought to herself, as the pummeling got more intense. _But how to get to him without him noticing..._

Suddenly, her urumi swayed around. She shivered at it.

"Eek!" she whispered. "My weapon acts like a snake! Snake? Aha!"

She then pushed harder and harder at the punching zombie.

"Oh!" he hissed madly. "Trying to charge at me with your shield? Haha! You are quite stupid, aren't you!"

"Yet this stupid girl outsmarted you, Rudolf," she deadpanned, which enraged the zombie even more. "Imagine what that is saying about your _real_ intellect."

Unbeknownst to him, Mako was pushing against him, so that he was focused on her. He did not notice something glint in the sunlight, slithering to his left...

It slowly rose up...

...and snap!

"Arrrgggghhhh!" the zombie roared in great pain, as the urumi's sharp point struck at an orange spot. Mako's sharp eyes saw what looked like two strange, orange spots that were tiny, each between the neck and the shoulder. Guessing that they were its weak spots, Mako carefully commanded her urumi to slither around, and literally strike like a snake.

The urumi successfully struck the orange spot on the left side, and something gave out from the zombie.

"Oh..." he moaned, as he suddenly collapsed on his knees, breathing erratically.

Seeing this, Saori immediately tried to strike, but the zombie blocked both of her fans and punched her away. She flew 100 m to a nearby wall, hitting it and falling down.

"Ouch!" she roared, from there.

"You STILL cannot defeat me!" Rudolf hissed. "But...at least your new Chosen was able to strike my...weak spots."

"Weak spots!" Yukari shouted, raising her fists to strike. "But Mako-chan, how are you able to do that?"

"A secret," Mako answered curtly. "He needs to die, first."

The zombie snickered.

"Bring it on," he hissed once more, as he lunged at her again. Suddenly, he screeched mid-air, and collapsed before he could even hit Mako.

"You!" he hissed. "No! I shouda hov dult with thot wiknis pont!"

He stumbled, trying to right himself. The left shoulder, where there was that orange spot, suddenly ruptured, and Rudolf roared in pain.

"Augh!" he screamed. "*****! I should have strengthened my defenses!"

"For every strength," said Mako, almost taunting him. "There is a weakness."

He growled.

"Should we get involved?" asked Yukari, snickering in the direction of Miho.

Rudolf looked at Miho, and gasped. While the girls were smiling, he was gawking.

Miho's golden rays of energy seeped into the Demon Rope, causing golden cracks to develop all over it. Then, it ruptured into sparks of golden debris, falling down like rain. Miho landed gracefully, sighing in relief as she re-summoned her sword.

"No," Miho said, swinging her sword. "Let Mako finish it."

Mako smirked, and faced the zombie.

"This is NOT the last time we will meet!" he hissed, and tried to run away. Suddenly, something tangled his feet.

"Augh!" he roared, slamming to the ground.

"You are not escaping from here," said a familiar, but dark voice.

* * *

Hana swung her naginata, as the vines wrapped around the zombie's feet. The whole crowd of orphans, all of them girls, followed her behind. Yukari and Saori both instinctively jumped to the girls, shielding them from the zombie. Miho calmly stood between the crowd and Mako, as the zombie gritted his teeth.

"I know your attacks," the zombie began. "I-ugh!"

Taking advantage of the zombie's state, Mako stealthily let her urumi sneak up again. This time, the urumi struck the right side's orange spot.

"AUGHHHGHHEREEREHHY!" the zombie screeched a horrific sound, writhing in agony as both of his shoulders ruptured. Although no organs were showing, the zombie was screeching. The orphaned girls screamed, huddling up to Yukari, Hana, and Saori. Emily, the tallest and oldest of them, however, huddled up to Miho.

"Do not fear," Miho said, patting her.

Emily looked like a beautiful girl. She had bright red hair, with a unique set of eyes. Miho blinked, now that she was able to see her more closely.

"Emily?" she asked. "You have..."

Emily nodded, smiling.

"My right eye is blue," she said. "While my left is green. That's why I was orphaned; my biological parents thought I was weird, and...left me."

Miho knelt down, hugging her.

"Sweet emotions, eh?" the zombie snickered, spitting as it got up. Although the zombie appeared to have healed, the ruptured, orange spots remained.

Mako then blinked.

"Guess your powers are gone," said Mako. "Right?"

The zombie spat in response.

"Clever girl," he reluctantly replied.

"Good," she said, releasing her urumi. It swung around like a whip, as she readied her shield; its boundaries and lines were flashing a brighter blue color.

"I can't believe," he growled. "That I got beaten by you-augh!"

Suddenly, he grabbed his head, screeching in pain. The girls backed away, their weapons aimed at the zombie.

When he raised his head back again, Miho and Mako both blinked, and gasped.

His red eyes were white now, and they could barely notice his blue irises.

"I-I..." he coughed. "I don't have much time before I lose control...and probably die, but..."

He held his head again, and then sighed in relief.

"I have a secret to tell you," he replied. "Maybe more."

Now, all five girls saw his sudden change. His voice sounded more humane, and the face also showed virtually no hostility.

"Tell us," Miho said skeptically, raising her chainsaw sword. The girls stared, eyes wide open at the blade's whirling blades.

"That's so cool!" Emily cried out.

"Now that you have destroyed my anti-Chosen powers," Rudolf snarled, shaking as if fighting to control his body. "Let me reward you for your accomplishment by telling you something you'd want to know."

"Go on," Miho said.

* * *

"The PAMC you're looking for," explained Rudolf. "Is the Project Aqaba Management Center. For decades, even centuries, we were a secretive group who sought to find the super-powerful artifacts, such as the Light Magenta Orb. However, we were hindered by a strange group of people called the Watchers. They are all gone, as they prophesied. However, we learned that the Watchers were foreshadowing what was to come. We tried to find all of the artifacts possible. Unfortunately, all except the Orb were destroyed, either due to excess use or human error. Now, the Orb is hovering over the waters of the San Francisco Bay Area, trying to assert its power."

"Originally," he continued. "The Orb was supposed to just revive dead animals and possibly raise humans back to life. For some reason, however, it was reluctant to do with the latter, and we pressured it. We pressured it, until we were successful."

All five Chosen girls gasped.

"Unfortunately," he continued. "The experiment was a failure, when our first human refused to listen to us. We had to...let's just say, we put him down."

"Eh?" all except Saori blinked, confused.

"Euthanize him," Saori explained. The girls then gasped, and shook their heads.

"Eu-euthanize?" asked Emily innocently, tugging at Miho.

"It's bad," she curtly replied, patting her.

"Then," Rudolf continued. "The Orb somehow refused to listen, and we kept trying to get it to work. Oh! I forgot to tell you about the exact details of how everything transpired..."

"You see," he said, clearing his throat. "Augh! A zombie's mouth is not designed for talking for long, but you don't need to know a LONG history of it all! But yeah, we found the Orb in the Gulf of Aqaba, hence the PAMC's name. We originally thought that it was in the Red Sea, but a chance encounter with an actual expert on the Hebrew language realized that the Watchers' inscriptions were meant to deceive us. We then took a chance, and found the Orb inside of a cart, or what remained of it, inside the sea. We then transported it to the UK, because Egypt at that time was a Brith protectorate. Then, seeing how successful America was, both by winning WWII and by landing a man on the Moon, we decided to transfer to California. There, we conducted multiple experiments with the Orb, and found out that it could revive animals and whatnot."

"So," Yukari interjected. "How do WE fit into the picture?"

Rudolf pursed his lips, or what remained of them.

"That's a great question," Rudolf admitted. "That's another thing that my former supervisor Nicolae wanted to know. Oh! You should be aware of Nicholae; he's one of the supervisors of PAMC. And he's an identical twin."

The girls blinked.

"There is another guy," Rudolf said. "Named Nick. Both are the main leaders of the PAMC. Agent Singh and Samson are among their most faithful followers. But that should not be much of a concern for now..."

Rudolf stopped talking for a second, as his eyes started to turn red again. He stretched his zombified body, ready to attack. Mako got ready, weapons charged with bluish-black energy. Waves of energy swerved around them and her own body.

"But I did not tell you," said Rudolf, his voice sounding a bit strained. "About another prophecy..."

The girls perked up their ears, listening intently.

For the first time ever, he sighed and...looked sad.

"Man," Rudolf groaned. "Even as a zombie, it still bothers me..."

He took a deep breath, and said it:

* * *

 _You deal with powers unknown_

 _And see the horrors shown_

 _The dead shall rise_

 _And shall taint the skies_

 _But see a new hope rising_

 _The Chosen Ones rising_

 _They will slay the despair_

 _And make the ultimate repair._

 _The Chosen have powers beyond_

 _None since the humans dawned_

 _They have the power to disrupt_

 _The whole world of humanity_

* * *

"But," Rudolf continued, oblivious to the girls' shocked expressions. "That is one part; there is a second part that nobody, not even the PAMC, knows about..."

"Wait!" Miho interjected. "You know all this, without telling your own company?!"

He looked up at her, and his eyes were full of...remorse.

"Good that I am a zombie now," he said. "As a human, I swore myself an oath to NEVER tell anyone this, but now that I am a zombie..."

He recited it:

* * *

 _Out of the Orb_

 _Rise the Rot_

 _Twin are They_

 _Coming to Crush_

 _The world Too_

* * *

 _But they shall not for long Boast_

 _For out of the very deathly Flames_

 _Shall rise the Saviors_

 _Of us the world and Ours_

 _Yet they shall Yell_

 _That they are Treated_

 _As scums of the world All_

* * *

"And that's not all," he said. "The last stanza, starting with 'But,' is a unique type of prophecy. It changes according to your perspective and who you are."

"What-what are you talking about?" asked Miho. "Wait a minute...You sound..."

He nodded.

"Yes," he said, still in an attacking pose, his body slightly trembling, like he was holding back the urge to pounce. "That last part was originally happier, but as I went through all those...illegal tests in the PAMC, I gradually lost my morale and...morals. Then, I became a zombie."

"So," Mako said. "That last stanza changes according to who you are."

"It has only two sides," he said. "As Chosen Ones, you will know the TRUE stanza, but now..."

He took a deep breath, then made an evil smile, his eyes once more bloody-red.

"Now," he hissed. "That I am finally freed, both from the PAMC and the bondage of humanity, I am finally free to do whatever I want!"

Miho watched him, finding his behavior bizarre, her guts telling her that something was wrong with him.

He flexed his bared muscles, and strange, orange gases emitted out of his shoulders.

"With freedom and power," Miho said. "Come responsibility, too."

He snarled.

"You!" he hissed. "Sounding all righteous and noble and all! You are too optimistic for this sinful earth! You have unimaginable power at your fingertips, now that you all are Chosen! You can finally do whatever you want! The world will not accept you! Look at the prophecy! You will treated as the 'scum' of this world!"

The girls hesitated, considering his words. However, Miho cleared her throat, and approached him.

"But," Miho said. "We heard you loud and clear that the last stanza changes according to who you are, so why not? We will keep our morals intact as much as possible to the bitter end. If we can regain our Senshadou selves, we will see if we can try."

Rudolf stared at the girls, then gawked.

"You?!" he screeched. "You're the Anglerfish Team?! From the Senshadou Parade?!"

"Yes," Miho replied.

He sighed, as his eyes became normal again.

"Well," he remarked. "To be honest, you guys seem so h...nevermind."

He raised his hands, signaling something, and a black drone with four helicopter blades, each on a leg of sort, flew down. It hovered over him, then flew slowly over to the girls. The girls raised their weapons.

It dropped something, which Miho caught.

She blinked.

"It has a book in it," he snarled. "You know, we PAMC became obsessed with it, until it decided we did not need it. PAMC ordered us to burn down all copies of this book, but I saved one, because PAMC also put...codes of sort inside of it."

The girls blinked.

"In other words," Rudolf said. "You need it more than I do."

"And so," Miho said. "Will you change your mind, and do the right thing?"

"I..." he started to speak, but stopped abruptly. "I have sinned too much to deserve a second chance. I am sorry, but I have crossed the Rubicon, so my answer is...no."

Closing and opening his eyes, which were red again, he crouched on all fours. This greatly unnerved Miho, as she already connected the change with Rudolf's seeming dualistic nature.

Mako whipped out her urumi and shield.

"I am glad to be a zombie," he hissed. "Now, I can do things that being a human would be impossible to do. I am going to tell you that some like you will remain good. And others..."

He slowly stalked towards Mako.

"...have turned to the dark side," he hissed. "Like your sister."

Miho froze, but raised her sword in hand.

"She's not corrupted," she replied. "But she's being controlled."

Still, she shook a little. The possibility of her own sister becoming evil...greatly disturbed her.

"Clever girl," he hissed. "Your personality determines your perspective. Well, I am tired of my long rant. Now that I have given you everything you need, let this F**** battle start and end right now!"

He roared, as he lunged at Mako, with both of his biceps pulsing with an intense orange energy. They appeared as if ready to explode.

 _Snap!_

"Ugh!"

Both of his shoulders ruptured. This time, both arms fell off, as he screamed and collapsed unto the ground.

"No!" he shrieked. "My weak spots! And you! You hid your urumi! Now...now-now-no!"

His twisted smile gone from his face, the zombie's shoulders started to leak out something reddish-orange, as he was starting to...

"I-I am melting!" he hollered. "Ch-Chosen Ones! Pl-please! H-help me!"

His pleading sounded like a wounded animal, caught in a trap.

Mako then stared at him, with calm but intense eyes. She then nodded to Miho, who then nodded back. She approached the liquefying zombie, revving up her sword. The blade spun even faster; this time, it had a golden color on the edge, with a light magenta color in the center.

"I-I-" he gasped, trying to back away. "I-I am human! I have human morals and conscience! I can still talk like a human, think like a human, and act like a human!"

 _Yet you refused and still refuse_ , a voice echoed inside of the zombie's head, but he was too distracted to notice.

Miho glared at him, as the others behind her shook their heads in disbelief.

"You?" Miho asked, approaching him. "You tried to kill Mako in cold blood. You even experimented on her without her real consent. And you put us in a situation where you know you're torturing all of us. And now, you ask for help from us!? You did not even care one little bit!"

She raised her sword, as it created a pillar of golden light, surrounded by two ribbons of light magenta that wrapped around it like a double helix.

"Aha!" Rudolf bellowed, shaking his pants furiously. Something dropped down.

A strange shockwave struck the girls, causing all five Chosen girls to freeze in place.

"Huh?!" all of them gasped, as they could not move an inch.

"An anti-Chosen weapon I made," he declared. "Good to have Plan B. But it works only once, and I did not want you to know about this thing..."

He tapped the device, which looked like a remote control.

"This uses a Chosen One's energy," he snarled. "That girl sure shrieked in horror, as I extracted her energy to immobilize you."

It laughed maniacally.

"You're now rotten at heart," Miho declared, her eyes focused on him.

"Yes," he began. "So now-ugh!"

"Girls!" Miho and her team screamed, as the orphan girls started to pelt the zombie with anything they could lay a hand on.

"Foo-foolish mortals!" he shrieked, as some bricks and trash hit him. "You think you can-ugh!"

One of the tallest girls managed to take hold of a a heavy book, and spun around and around, using the momentum to catapult the book. It hit him dead-on.

"N-no," he moaned, as the sickly liquid continued to pour out of him like lava from a volcano. "Ugh! I have...a bit of...strength left...to finally conduct...one last...experiment!"

He dragged his feet, as the girls fled away. Emily, however, stood her ground.

"What experiment?!" Mako gasped, trying to move her body.

Whatever it was, the girls could tell that it was going to be bad, really bad.

"To see if you all," he said, opening his tattered jacket. "Can survive this!"

Everybody gasped, as his torso was covered in dynamites and grenades.

"Now that you are frozen in place," he cackled. "Let's see if you'll be able to heal an explosion's worth of wounds!"

He roared into laughter, ready to set the explosives off. Before he could do so, however, his eyes turned back to normal, and his whole body froze in place.

"Wh-what's happening?!" he cried in alarm. "Wh-why can't I move my body?!"

"You...have caused enough pain already in these girls," another voice spoke through the zombie's mouth. "I, the real Rudolf, won't allow you to do so anymore."

"Y-you!" the zombie roared, trying to move. "Who-who are you?!"

"You forgot me already?" the voice hissed. "I am your human side, the part of you who is still Rudolf at heart."

The girls all gasped at the revelation.

"Impossible!" the zombie hissed. "No humanity can remain after the zombification is complete!"

The zombie tried to take control.

"You'd be...surprised...how much...we don't...yet," the human side of Rudolf groaned, slowing losing control of his body. "We humans still have a will to live and...do the right thing. Miss Miho Nishizumi, I won't...be able to stay any longer. You have to destroy me now!"

"E-Emily!" Miho said, doing as she was told to. "Grab my sword!"

Emily nodded, climbing up to Miho to grab it. It suddenly came off, and Emily found herself wielding it.

"Wow!" she responded, surprised at how light the sword was despite its size.

Suddenly, Rudolf roared, as the zombie side finally took back full control.

"You're not Chosen!" Rudolf screamed, as he activated his explosives. "And I cannot-NO!"

Emily slammed down the sword, the pillar of light cutting him and sending him flying away.

"N-no..." Rudolf moaned. "My life...all-"

"N-no..." the zombie's voice moaned, fading away with the body. "My life...all-"

He suddenly shook, eyes back to normal.

"Th-thank...you," he moaned in a human voice. "I am finally free-"

BOOM!

Miho and all of her friends sighed in relief, as they finally were freed from their state. Gasping for breath, they all collapsed unto the ground, kneeling down in exhaustion. In the distance, the huge cloud of golden and light magenta dust settled down the ground. Miho barely glimpsed a rainbow in it.

"Si-sisters?" the orphan girls asked, tending after their saviors.

"We're OK," Miho said, getting back to her feet. "I-I...let's go."

* * *

 **Santa Maria Orphanage**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **4:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

"You OK?"

"Hmm?"

Miho opened her eyes slowly, and found herself on a plain white bed, with a blanket over her. She saw Emily watching her with her heterochromiac eyes, both blue and green eyes watching her with concern.

Miho reached out with her left hand, and Emily grabbed it with both of her hands.

"Hey Emily," Miho whispered, then gasped. "My friends!"

She got up fast, surprising Emily with her speed.

"Miho sis," Emily said. "They're fine."

Miho blinked, watching where she was. She was inside of a colorful room, the walls and ceiling painted with a variety of blues, pinks, and other colors. Most of the shapes that decorated the surfaces were flowers, birds, butterflies, and even...teddy bears.

Miho gasped, looking around.

"Where is our stuff?!" Miho cried out, jumping up to look around.

"There!" one of the girls called out, pointing at a pile of belongings.

"Cool!" another shouted, trying to turn on her chainsaw sword. Fortunately, the sword's sawtooth edges were retracted in, as if it had a built-in safety mechanism.

"Edith!" Emily hissed. "That's too dangerous!"

"Sorry about that!" a tall girl apologized, grabbing her away. Her long, brown, straight hair smacked at the blond-haired girl, as she flailed about.

"Aw, come on!" Edith moaned, pushing her pink tiara down to cover her eyes.

Miho sighed in relief.

"OK," she began. "So, what happened..."

She looked down, as a cute, little girl with black pigtails hugged her left leg. Her bright, blue eyes shone with excitement.

"She's Agnes," Emily said. "It was she who suggested that we all go and check you all out. Hana objected, but her cuteness...well..."

Miho giggled, understanding perfectly well what she meant.

"Hello, Agnes," she said, kneeling down.

Agnes hugged her.

"Thank you for saving us," she replied.

"You're welcome," Miho said. "At least we're safe for now."

She stood up again. She then stretched out her right arm, and the sword levitated and returned to her. She waved it cautiously, as the girls around her stared in awe.

"OK," Miho said, once she stretched herself. "Where are..."

All of her friends were still lying on the beds, and Miho remembered. All five of them managed to stumble all the way to the orphanage, really led by Emily. Then, just as they reached the dorm room, they collapsed due to exhaustion. Miho vaguely recalled the girls moving her up into bed.

She smiled at the girls' kind acts.

"Strange," Miho said. "Why is Hana also tired?"

"The beauty sister?" Emily asked. Miho giggled, as they called Hana "beauty sister."

"Yes," Miho said. "She's Hana."

"Oh!" Emily responded. "Hana sis did a lot of work to save us from those baddies."

Miho smiled. She could tell that Hana led the girls, protecting from the zombie "baddies" that tried to attack them.

Yukari was snoring very loudly, and mumbling something about "those shells are amazingly big."

Miho felt a sweat drop on her head, giggling nervously at Yukari's innuendo.

"What's she doing?" Emily asked. "Talking in her sleep?"

"Yes," Miho curtly replied, not wanting to corrupt their youthful, innocent minds, although she felt that a few were mature enough to understand the truth.

She watched, and counted 40 of the girls.

"Are they all of you here?" Miho asked, gasping a little.

Emily nodded, and Miho stared in amazement.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"For at least four days," Emily admitted.

"How did you all survive?" Miho asked.

"We did what we could," she replied. "When we knew that the local stores were empty, and that it was not stealing, we took as much as we could."

Miho looked at each of the 40 orphan girls. All of them were rather well-nourished, although she could tell that they were just starting to get hungry. All of them were girls; the smallest was about seven years old, and the oldest like Emily about 11 years. The room they were in was apparently a dorm room, with 10 beds. The girls here were apparently not that ill-prepared.

"Wow," Miho said. "Emily, you and all of the girls definitely know how to defend yourself, right?"

Emily nodded proudly, as Miho looked around. The girls apparently used heavy curtains, so heavy that it blocked the lights outside. The girls also had soft blankets on the ground, which muffled the girls' footsteps. Miho's sharp eyes even noticed that the door frame had some cushions on them; as a few girls opened the door back and forth, the door barely made a sound.

Miho smiled.

"You girls are amazing," Miho replied. "I am proud of you."

Emily blushed, while others cheered or bowed down in respect.

"But we have little food left," Emily said. "And we've been lucky so far."

"Don't worry," Miho said. "We'll get you all out."

"But we're scared!" Agnes said out, hugging Miho's legs again.

Miho felt something tug inside of her.

"We'll get you all out," she said. "In the meantime..."

"Oh..."

Of all the girls, the first to wake up was...Mako.

"Mako-chan," Miho said, amazed. "Why are you awake?"

"Maybe I am new," she moaned. "But boy, I cannot believe it."

"That you won?" asked Miho, smiling.

"No," she replied.

Miho tilted her head, confused.

"I cannot sleep," Mako said. "Being Chosen sucks because of that."

The girls all around her stared, while Emily, Margo, and few more mature girls shook their heads, dismayed at the weird answer. Miho giggled nervously, agreeing with Emily and other girls about Mako's lame answer.

"Miho-senpai," Mako said.

 _Boy_ , Miho thought, feeling weird. _People are calling me that still..._

"You can go and get supplies," Mako said. "I will watch over here. This place won't last for long, so we need to find a place for our girls."

Miho nodded.

"Totally agreed," she said. "Mako-chan, keep watch. Emily-chan, lead the way."

"Emily...chan?" Emily asked.

"Oh, sorry to forget," Miho said, kneeling down to look at her, while Agnes continued to cling to her. "We are Japanese, and in Japan we add honorifics."

"Sort of like 'Mr' and 'Mrs' in your world," Mako said.

"Ah," Emily said, nodding. "OK, we'll lead you to a secret door..."

* * *

 **Santa Maria Orphanage**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **5:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

Miho leaped from building to building, returning back from her day's work with a load of supplies on her back. Instead of going straight to the orphanage, however, she took a long detour, confusing the trail of zombies that followed her, while sending out flares at random to distract the remaining zombies. Once she knew that the zombies were gone, she smelled herself, in order to ensure that she did not have a particular scent that attracted anyone. Afterwards, she charged her legs, as golden waves surrounded her feet, and she catapulted up into the air like a flea. She landed softy, using her power to muffle her landing.

"Good," she said. "Now, I think they're all awake?"

Miho felt something inside of her chest, and she looked down.

A tiny, golden orb of light pulsed between her chest.

"I've seen this before," she said to herself. "But I wonder what this is..."

Suddenly, she glimpsed something, and she turned to look, but sighed in relief.

"I am coming," she said softly, jumping towards the light, as one of them used a flashlight to get her attention.

"Be careful with that," Miho said. "You don't want the bad ones to get you."

"Sorry," Edith said, as her older sister played roughly with her. "I just find you all so cool."

Agnes clung to her left leg as usual, making Miho smile and pat her.

"I am fine," she said. "You OK?"

"Fine as awake!" Saori said, stretching. "Man, I've been checking what we have, and the girls are right; they have little food left. We sent Yukari and Hana out to search for more supplies and a potential new spot to make base."

"Great!" Miho said. "Saori-chan, you are now better at leadership."

Saori blushed, then covered her face with her war fans, which radiated out fluffy-looking embers. The girls surrounded her, some trying to capture them, while others tried to see if they could "eat" them.

"Careful, girls," Miho said. "We are...eh...what should we call ourselves?"

"We know you're Chosen!" Emily said. "But you all prove nicer than the TV said!"

Miho smiled, giggling.

"You're flattering us," she teased, making a curtsy at Emily, who reciprocated.

"Anyway," Miho said. "You girls know how to barricade?"

"The girls told me everything," Saori said. "So, we have all of our supplies here in the corner, so that we can bolt in emergency, and we have secured our perimeter possible."

"We're back!" Yukari said, as she and Hana came in.

"How was your mission?" Miho asked, as she helped them unload their supplies. Saori commenced checking Miho and the duo's supplies.

"We've found plenty!" Yukari said. "Well, except for a little trouble."

"How so?" Miho asked.

"A military convoy," said Hana.

Miho gasped.

"They only glimpsed us," Yukari said. "And they immediately fired on us. We hid just in time, and eavesdropped on them."

"Did they see you?" Miho asked, concerned.

"Fortunately," Hana said. "No, the soldiers called on their system that they 'saw a few stray Chosen' but could not determine how we looked."

"Good," Miho said, sighing. "Man, why are they treating us so differently? We're still human at heart, aren't we?"

"I really do not think so," Saori admitted. "Look at us."

They all looked at each other. They were quite tall for their age, being 40 cm taller than usual. Plus, the girls also squirmed in their...uniform.

"Strange," Hana said, pulling on her clothing. "Although the clothing did grow, it does not seem to grow all the time..."

"And look!" Saori said, pointing at her chest and blushing. "Yikes, we need to raid a clothing store and get something better! Oh!"

She clapped her hands, fans still in hand. The fans radiated out more embers, and the girls flocked to try and capture them.

"We better go and get new clothing!" Saori said.

"But," Miho said. "Can we actually do something like that?"

"Like what?" Saori asked.

"I know that we are Chosen," she replied. "But I do not think that we are mere magicians, being able to transform clothing and all..."

Miho looked, as most of them watched her with puppy eyes. They really wanted her to see her display her powers.

"Well," Miho said, sweating a little. "I...may do that once we find a new home for you all."

"Yay!" many of them cheered, only for Miho, her friends, Margo, and Emily to quiet down the crowd.

"Say," Miho said. "Did you find any useful place?"

"Oh yes!" Hana said. "We have found one. It is an unusually well-fortified private villa of sort. Apparently, it was a wealthy man's house, because it has a helipad."

Miho nodded, silently understanding what they were going to do. Unbeknownst to the orphan girls, the Anglerfish Team decided that the team would situate the orphan girls safely, then wait until the rescue arrived, or use one of them as "bait" to lure the rescue to the orphan girls. Then, once the girls were safe, the team would part and go up north.

It was a decision that saddened all of the girls, but they had to do what they had to do. Since they were now Chosen, they were targeted, and did not want the orphans to get into trouble.

"By the way," Miho said. "Where is Mako?"

Emily loudly groaned.

"Is your friend," she replied. "A sleepyhead?"

* * *

"Mako..."

Miho giggled nervously, staring at what Mako was doing.

"Did you find Mako?" Saori called out.

All four girls split up, trying to find where they last saw Mako. Saori admitted that she somehow "slipped away," when she got distracted by the girls.

"I did," Miho replied, and all of her friends rushed to her.

Miho was outside, inside of an enclosed space, surrounded by wooden fences. It was a former playground, with a few toys scattered around. However, Mako was there...

...sleeping on a bluish-black hammock, lined with tortoiseshell patterns.

Saori and Yukari dropped down, hitting the ground on their butts, while Hana tilted her head, extremely confused.

"Mako," Miho said. "You are sleeping, aren't you?"

She snored in response.

"Mako!" Saori began, hissing as she approached her. "Get up or-eek!"

A serpentine blade rose up, making a hissing sound. Saori struck up an attack pose, ready to strike.

"It's her urumi," Miho said, giggling. "A whip-like sword from India."

"Rea-really?!" Saori gasped. "Man! She now knows how to defend herself?!"

"I know how to wake her up," Miho said, giving a strange smile.

All three shivered, realizing what she was going to do.

"Oh well," Saori said, shrugging. "It was fun while it lasted."

"I wish you best of luck," Yukari said, saluting at both Miho, who was slowly marching towards the hammock, and Mako, who was sleeping silently.

"She will have to suffer," Hana replied. "The Nishizumi way."

For some reason, both Mako and her urumi flinched, as if they knew what was going to happen.

"Urumi," Miho said, raising her chainsaw sword, ready to rev the engine. "Would you mind leaving me and Mako alone for a little bit? I need to 'discuss' with her."

The urumi shook, and slid away as if driven away by a mongoose, sliding away for dear life. She then sheathed her sword on her back, then cracked her fists.

She slowly woke her up, unnerved by the cracking noise.

"Eh?" Mako asked, blinking up at Miho's face.

She suddenly shivered, feeling her whole body frozen in place.

"Mako," she said happily. She was indeed happy, but in a way that...scared Mako like her grandmother.

"It's training time."

Mako gulped, then stared straight at her friends. Her eyes told them a silent message:

 _Please! Help me! I beg you!_

Saori shook her head, smiling "innocently" at her. Yukari shrugged, while Hana tilted her head, looking back at her with a confused expression.

"It's training time," Saori said.

"No..." Mako groaned. "My precious sleep..."

* * *

 **Santa Maria Orphanage**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **7:00 PM; July 14, 20XX**

"She's suffering much, right?"

Saori casually asked, as she served her food. She and Yukari served the food from the kitchen. Since the area was already set up like a cafeteria, they were able to get the food all done in a neat fashion. Hana did the "hard" work of setting the girls in a line, which they did with precision.

"You're so tall!"

"Pretty!"

"The tallest woman I've ever seen!"

Hana blushed a little, amazed at the little girls' replies, and more amazed by their determination to not only survive, but even smile and laugh.

All 40 girls got their food, and munched happily on it.

"Mmm!" many of them called out. "Yummy!"

"Rice sweetened with a little honey and salt," said Saori. "And we have canned meat, grilled with seasoning and lightly barbecued and sweetened vegetables."

"You did great!" one of the bigger girls grunted, munching on her broccoli. "Man! I normally hate veggies, but this is amazing!"

She bolted out of her seat, and dashed up to Saori.

"More veggies!" she mumbled through her full mouth. "Please!"

"Mind your manners," Saori said, scooping out a few pieces of broccoli. "Here."

"Yay!" she cried, going back to her seat.

"Are they coming back soon?" Saori asked out loud. "I have prepared a few slices of cake for her, in case if she needs them."

"Maybe a few candy bars can help," Yukari said, pouring them on a bowl.

Make sure you unwrap them," Saori said. "Sometimes, she accidentally tries to eat a bar or so when she's too tired to even check..."

A small knock echoed from trapdoor next to the kitchen.

"They're here!" Yukari declared, as Emily and a few girls rushed in to open it. Mako was the first to come out, and she was...destroyed.

"Ah..." she groaned like a zombie, causing a few girls to cry and run away in fear.

"Ah!" some of them screamed. "Zombie!"

"Don't worry," Saori said. "She's not zombie, but very, VERY tired."

Yukari dragged Mako out, who was now 40 cm taller than her usual height. Although now 185 cm tall, she looked as if smashed. She was panting and moaning inaudibly.

"Not...gonna...test...Miho...senpai..." she gasped. "Again."

"Here is a slice of chocolate cake," Saori said, putting it on a desk nearby, where Emily, Margo, Edith, and Agnes were sitting at.

Mako suddenly stood up, scaring a few other girls. She limped towards the cake, almost like a zombie.

"Cake..." she groaned, slamming unto the table and grabbing a fork to devour the cake. The four orphan girls all sat, staring at her.

Miho came out, smiling. She then closed the door from behind, dusting off her shirt.

Her friends shivered a little, remembering their own training regimes with her.

"So," Saori said. "Anything different with her?"

"Nope," Miho replied. "However, she did tell me about how she was able to change her shield into a hammock. Apparently, our weapons are more flexible and versatile than we realize."

"And we did not know that all along?" Saori asked, aghast.

"I know that our weapons can change," Miho said, showing off her chainsaw sword. It spun, sparks flying around. She then concentrated, and the orphan girls stared in awe, as her sword shrunk and grew back and forth. One moment it was about 100 cm long, the next moment it was over 400 cm long.

"But Mako's power showed," she continued. "That we can change them into something more."

She then kept her sword at its longest, then concentrated. Her chainsaw stopped buzzing, and mechanically morphed into a what looked like a futuristic skateboard, but larger and with wings.

Everybody stared, jaws agape.

"Something I saw years ago," Miho admitted, as the board started to hover, creating the same buzzing sounds as her sword.

Everybody watched, stunned. Mako, however, was devouring her cake, and limped over to a piece of cake to get more slices.

"I guess I overdid it," Miho said, giggling. "I wanted the hoverboard, a levitating board that Mako told me, but the design became more...fashionable than I wanted it to be."

"But it's COOL!" Yukari shouted, going fangirl. "It's a jet-shaped hoverboard!"

She got up, summoning her fists. Then, she smashed them together, seeing what they could do. The gauntlets suddenly fell off, and the two morphed into...a pair of tiny tanks. Each one was barely the size of a chair, and rotated it turret around. The orphan girls stared in awe, and some even tried to ride on them. In response, the tiny tanks ran away, trying to escape from the small horde of girls behind them.

Yukari blinked.

"Oh," she noted. "I guess...they change according to who we are?"

"Anyway!" Miho said, rubbing her stomach. "Do you have anything?"

Saori nodded, giving her a large bowl of food.

"Thank you," Miho replied, sitting down with Mako, who was now devouring her third slice of cake. "Itadakimasu."

* * *

"Get to the beds, girls."

"Aw..."

The GuP girls escorted all 40 girls back to their dorm rooms, ensuring that they were all in bed.

"Why can't we stay up longer?" Edith growled.

"Edith," Margo hissed. "They are older than us; mind your business."

Edith stuck her tongue out, while Agnes hugged Miho one more time before running back to her sisters. Emily stayed behind, helping the Anglerfish Team with ensuring that everybody else was in bed.

Once done, Emily turned to face the five girls.

"Chosen Ones," she said, bowing down. "Th-thank you so much for keeping us alive."

"You're welcome," Miho said, as she and her friends reciprocated. "We are glad to help."

"I heard on the news," Emily said. "To be careful of your kind. But you are far nicer and more good than the news said. But that makes me wonder: why?"

The five girls all looked at each other. Then, with a silent nod of approval, they let Miho speak. Miho knelt down to tell her:

"Emily, we are on the run. I do not know why, but it's a lot to swallow, but simply put: some bad guys in multiple governments and companies are after us. Hence, for your sake, we have to run away."

Emily blinked, then sobbed. She hugged Miho silently, as she let her sob in her arms. The others stayed silent in respect.

After what felt like minutes, Emily then backed away, wiping away her tears.

"I know what will happen," she said bluntly. "You will have to leave us, and we will be rescued. But I know that you will make sure that we will all be rescued. But...I want to be with you!"

"There are things that I cannot always understand," Miho admitted. "But at the end of the day, we all five have decided: we're going to find and establish a safe zone for you all. Then, once done, we will get the military convoy or some rescue operation to find you all. Then, we will watch until everything goes well. Deal?"

Emily sobbed, but nodded in agreement.

"We're going to sleep, too," Saori said, yawning. "We'll take turns to watch the night. And no, Mako. You watch first."

Mako groaned, but obeyed, as they walked to their locations of sleep. Mako was the first to keep watch, so she summoned her urumi and shield, and slowly patrolled the corners and rooms of the orphanage. Saori then threw her war fans to a corner of the cafeteria, and her weapons turned into a miniature curtained bed (it looked like a luxury bed, colored bright red with some yellow markings and a curtain around it). Saori got herself ready, taking off her clothing and leaving her lingerie on, while searching her bag for any makeshift pajamas to wear.

Yukari then threw her fists, which turned into a giant camp bed (or cot), colored white but with green, military-like patterns and complete with a tent covering. She simply crashed into it to sleep with her uniform on.

"Ah!" she moaned happily.

Hana then waved her naginata, then put it gently on a corner of the cafeteria room. It morphed into a blue futon, with green engravings all over it. She then commenced making it, while undressing herself.

"You should sleep!" Saori told Miho.

"Oh!" she realized. "O-OK!"

She then revved up the engine, and struck it into a corner. She backed away, as the machine suddenly roared, and separated apart and became...a normal-looking bed with gilded coverings and light magenta patterns all over. However, on each of the corner of the bed was a figurine of an animal.

"Wow!" Yukari said, looking at it. "Look!"

The girls all looked. At the head part's right corner was a figurine of a phoenix-like bird, colored red. It had a light brown ribbon wrapped around it. On the left corner was a figurine of a Chinese dragon, colored blue and with a dark gray ribbon wrapped around it like a scarf. At the foot part of the bed, two figurines stood at the corners. The right one was a tiger in a pouncing pose, colored white and silver-white with a dark brown ribbon in its mouth. The left corner had the statuette of a black tortoise, colored black with a bluish-black snake wrapped around the turtle's neck. The snake's neck had a dark hazel ribbon on it.

"Interesting," Hana said. "Four different animals, and each with a ribbon? That is an interesting idea."

"I don't know why," Miho said. "But I am..."

Miho yawned.

"Let's just sleep for the day," Saori said, now in her...pajama-like wear. "Let's just get to sleep."

"Good night!" all of them said to each other.

Miho lied down, then got up.

"Wait," Miho said. "Let me go and check with Emily."

"Be quick about it," Mako said. "Before I start...'deducting' points from you."

Miho smiled, then dashed to where Emily was. A few seconds later, Miho came back, panting. She then got into her bed, sighing in relief.

"I wonder what she did," Saori pondered, yawning."

"Sleep," Mako said, almost groaning. "I want to sleep, so good night!"

"Good night!" all of the girls declared, tucking into bed.

* * *

 **Santa Maria Orphanage**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:00 AM; July 15, 20XX**

Miho stared up at the ceiling. She moved back and forth in her sleep, huddling her Boko doll. She tried to sleep, but she somehow could fall asleep.

"Mm..." she groaned. "No."

She slowly rose up, sitting in her bed. Clutching her Boko, she looked around.

Everybody, even Yukari, who was supposed to be on watch, was asleep. Yukari was snoring something about "fighting like a tank" and "shell is so long and good."

Miho giggled a little.

"Hmm," she said. "I wonder why it's quiet..."

She stood up, looking around. She then slowly crept towards other dorm rooms. Her sharp ears could hear whether anyone was awake.

Nobody was awake.

Smiling, she crept away back to bed, lying down and trying to sleep.

"Man..." she groaned. "Can't sleep..."

She kept moving around in bed.

"Please..." she moaned quietly. "Somebody..."

She suddenly felt a small, soft hand touch her left side.

For some reason, she was about to react by summoning her sword, but the touch was...warm.

She felt warm.

Miho looked to her left, seeing who it was.

Four little girls stared at her.

"Emily?" Miho gasped. "Margo? Edith? Agnes?!"

"You OK?" they asked.

Miho smiled, and was about to claim that she was fine. However, the girls' expressions, even in the dark, made it clear that they knew that she was not exactly fine...

"Not exactly so," she admitted. "I guess being Chosen and being a leader, to help you all and all, is not easy."

"You speak funny," Edith blurted out.

"Edith!" Margo hissed. "Mind your manners!"

"All five of us," Miho whispered. "Are from Japan."

"Wait a second," Margo said in a low voice. "From the Senshadou Parade?"

All four girls gasped in shock.

"Wow!" Edith cried out loud. "That's cool!"

"Girls driving on tanks?" Agnes asked.

"You're that girl," Margo gasped. "Who won that famous annihilation match!"

"Wow..." Emily whispered. "And you're now...Chosen."

Miho smiled.

"Sorry to bother you all," Miho said. "And make you worry and all."

"Miho sis," Emily said. "Will you have to..."

She trailed off, as the four girls suspected what she and her friends would have to do.

Miho's smile was gone, realizing that the girls somehow figured it out.

"You are right," she said, sighing and getting up.

"No-no," Emily said, stopping her. "Please, sleep, sis."

"Sis..." Miho whispered, remembering her own sister...

* * *

 _"Onee-chan!" Miho called out to her. "What's going on?"_

 _"Jemand kontrolliert mich!" Maho roared, pressing her katana against Miho._

* * *

"Someone controls me..." Miho whispered in thought.

"Who's controlling?" Agnes asked.

Miho looked down, Agnes begging with her large, cute eyes. Miho smiled.

"My sister," she replied. "I need to save my sister."

"And keep all of your team alive," Emily said. "And us as well."

Miho nodded, realizing that the girls were quite intelligent.

"Sorry to make you all worried," Miho said, wiping her eyes.

"No-no," Emily said. "Please, lie down."

She obeyed, lying back on her bed with her doll.

"Why do you have a doll?" Edith asked.

"Edith," Margo retorted. "Why do you wear your tiara to bed, then?"

Edith groaned, realizing that she was outsmarted.

"Lie down still," Emily said. "I think...we will do something to comfort you, just as our caretaker did."

"Care-wait, what happened to your..." Miho trailed off.

"They all disappeared," Edith blurted out. "Leaving us for dead, apparently. Either they got killed, or left us."

"We saw one trying to get to us," Emily said. "However, she ran in the opposite direction, as a horde chased after her. I heard her scream..."

"And," Margo said. "We also saw another one, who instead of stopping a helicopter to at least rescue us, said something and lifted up, without even saving us."

"Humans are complicated," Miho admitted. "After all."

Their words made her think. All this time, she and her friends, including those from other schools, tried to maintain their morality. The worst they did was looting, which technically was not stealing. However, she and others saw plenty of atrocities done; some left their families behind, while others became anarchic bandits.

She sighed at the complicated nature of humanity, and wondered whether she could...survive it.

"But you're the only ones who saved us and cared for us," Emily said. "So, we want to do something for you, so please lie down and sleep."

"I will try," Miho said, smiling and lying down.

 _At least these girls keep us alive and_...she thought. _Humane._

Miho then felt Emily grab her left hand, and all three touched it. They lowered their heads down, and Emily said:

"Dear God, thank you for answering our prayers. We have someone to keep us alive. Lord, I do not know why some of our own protectors turned on us. It was scary and sad...But thank you for giving us another day to rest, and now we can finally sleep in peace for the first time in a few days..."

Miho felt tears streaming down her face.

"...and that we will hopefully be rescued. We know that they have to go, because they are Chosen. But in times high and low, good and bad, please watch over us, and over our saviors. In Jesus' risen name we pray..."

"In Jesus' risen name we pray..." Miho mumbled. The word "risen" somehow sounded familiar..."

"Amen," all four finished.

"Amen," Miho said after. "Good night and...thank you."

"Thank you," they answered, slowly creeping away. "Good night."

They slowly closed the door, and Miho lied down, as Yukari suddenly woke up.

"Oops!" she blinked, slapping herself awake. "I need to keep watch! OK, I am watching for an extra hour!"

Miho smiled, as Yukari patrolled around. Miho then slowly closed her eyes...

 _Miho found herself on a beach, the waves and wind churning with tranquility. She wondered where she was, but turned around, and saw the Orb. A ribbon of energy from it suddenly choked, trying to kill her. Suddenly, it let go, and Miho saw a man absorb it. He tried to kill her, only for her to..._

Miho smiled, as the dream faded away.

"I may be scared," she whispered. "And I did not see the last part of that dream, but you know? We are all in this together."

She then closed her eyes again, smiling. For the first time in a few days, she felt a very mysterious sense of peace.

"Panzer vor," she whispered, before finally asleep.

* * *

 **Now, all five girls are Chosen!**

 **So then, what will happen next?**

 **By the way, if you notice, I ended up sort of crossing over with "Despicable Me." Margo, Edith, and Agnes appear here, but with different appearance to some degree. Yes, if you have read "Despicable Girls" before I cancelled it, this story ended up having that influence.**

 **And thank you to everyone who had the time to check out my story!**

 **I wish you all well in the world of writing!**


	27. Chapter 27: The Safe Zone II

**Now, this should be a short but bittersweet chapter.**

 **Note: And yes, I am trying to finish this story ASAP, so my apologies if the last few chapters seem a little rushed. But thank you for all the adventure I've had! I enjoyed it!**

 **So, without further ado, let's go.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 27: The Safe Zone II**

 **Five miles away from the villa...**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; July 15, 20XX**

"We need to retreat now!"

Three police officers stood their ground, as they fired shots after shots into a horde of zombies.

"Oh..." the incessant moans of the undead echoed through the walls, frightening the trio.

"But where to go?!" one of them roared.

"Hang in there!" another one replied.

At this rate, none of them even knew who was saying what.

They did not care; they just wanted to live...

 _Slash!_

All three blinked, as a golden blade sliced through the entire horde, vaporizing all of the zombies into a cloud of golden dust.

"Ch-Chosen Ones!" one of them shouted, trying to find his walkie-talkie.

"What are you doing?" the others asked.

"A-aren't we supposed to report them?!" he gasped.

They all looked. A tall girl with a chainsaw inspected them from a distance, carrying what looked like a bed modified to have belts on. A bunch of girls were safely tied to the bed. A few even waved at the officers.

"Let them go," the leader of them said.

"You're bluffing!" the officer gawked.

"They're rescuing people," he said. "Anyway, she saved us. So, leave them be. We'll report someday."

The leader saluted at the girls, who reciprocated and jumped away.

"Officer Washington!" a voice cracked through his walkie-talkie. "Finally, I thought you're dead! What's your status?"

"We've got the zombies under control here," he replied. "We need transport."

"Any bites?"

"Nope."

"10-4," was the curt reply, before turning off.

"Chosen Ones..." he mused, looking at the girls as they leaped away. "Who are YOU all, really?"

* * *

 **Kingston Villa**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **1:00 PM; July 15, 20XX**

"Emily, we are safe now."

Miho watched from a second-story balcony, with Emily watching by her side. Miho and her friends all managed to transport all 40 orphan girls safely. At first, the girls designed beds, utilizing their powers to make a few modifications. The "transport beds" were essentially the orphanage's beds strengthened with steel and seat belts, all looted from cars and shops. However, the first 20 girls transported this way felt very frightened, and a few got sick. Hence, the girls then transported the rest by twos; each Chosen girl held two girls in her two arms.

Emily, Margo, Edith, and Agnes, however, were different. They all chose to ride on the bed, in order to give the Chosen girls more time to set up the perimeter.

"Miho sis," Emily said. "What do you all do? Make defenses?"

Miho smiled, and nodded.

"We found out," she explained. "That we can modify our weapons into a variety of tools. That's how we fixed the beds into transports. And thanks for letting us carry you via the bed. It really saved us some time."

Emily nodded.

"We cared for you all," she said. "It's just that...riding on the bed felt like riding a rollercoaster!"

Miho smiled.

"Except I never rode one," she admitted.

Miho stopped smiling, nodding silently. She then took her by her right hand, keeping her up like a mother. She and Emily both looked out, watching the scenery unfold.

Miho and Emily were both taking a turn. All 40 girls wanted to huddle up to Miho, and she decided to have a personal one-on-one with each girl. While they were doing so, others were doing their own things.

Ten of the orphan girls were playing around in the wide lawn fields. They had some toys around, but they were just doing their own things, just being little kids. Ten of them, however, were trying to keep a lookout. In reality, only three of them were really doing it; the other seven were partly on the lookout, and partly playing around.

The last ten, however, were in charge of helping the Chosen girls. Miho and Emily both watched, as Saori was going in and out, watching Yukari deal with the grill. Yukari was in charge of the grills, dealing with outdoor cooking, such as cooking rice in military pots. The aroma of hot dogs, sausages, burger patties, and other pieces of meat filled the air, but Yukari kept others from coming too near. Saori went back into the kitchen area, where she did much of the cooking inside; she allowed only Margo and another mature girl, Dana, to help her with some kitchen work, such as washing food and preparing the trays. Hana and Mako were in charge of checking the perimeter, and using their powers to create defenses. The rest of the seven orphan girls helped them.

"Oh," Miho said, checking her phone. Although she had no connections, her Chosen essence somehow acted like a charger, so that the phone's clock and timer were still working.

"It's time," she said, as Emily replied and opened a door. Agnes immediately zoomed in, hugging Miho, who reciprocated.

"I wish you well!" Emily said, as she closed the door.

* * *

Emily sighed, as she backed away from the door, and slowly walked down the spiral stairs. Although everything was organized, clean, and fashionable, with a variety of antique furniture, she herself felt...

"Bittersweet?" she said to herself. "Yeah, sure, they need to...but..."

She sniffed, tears streaming down.

"I wish they will adopt us," she moaned. "But...what to do..."

She wiped away her tears.

"I will see what I can do," she said to herself.

She sighed, as she went into the kitchen.

"Dana!" she told one of the two girls helping Saori.

"Me?" she asked, turning around. She had long, black hair with dark brown eyes.

"You can go out," she said. "I want to help Saori mo-I mean, sister."

"Yay!" she shouted out, leaping out of the kitchen.

Emily smiled, as she helped Saori with the kitchen.

"Emily," Saori said. "Can you help Margo with setting up food?"

She nodded, and checked the trays. Today's lunch menu was diverse; in addition to the meat and rice from the outdoor grills, the trays showed a variety of veggies. For some strange reasons, the orphan girls loved the Anglerfish girls' vegetable dishes.

"Margo," she said to her, knowing full well that Saori could hear her.

"Yeah?" she responded.

"What will happen to us if we are rescued..." she trailed off.

Saori kept cutting her onions, but her eyes suddenly teared up. She could not tell whether she was crying, or whether the onions were making her cry.

Margo sighed audibly. She, Emily, and her two sisters all were the only ones who knew about the future plans of their saviors.

"I know," Margo said. "We eventually will have to tell others."

"No," Emily said. "You know what will happen if they do. Some of them will understand, while others will complain."

Both sighed, as Saori kept cutting more food; this time, she was cutting cakes and sweets.

"What can they do?" Margo asked. "We can't just let them explain."

"Then why..." Emily began, then she thought.

"Aha!" she exclaimed suddenly. Margo and Saori both looked at her.

"Eh?" both asked.

"Why not lure our rescuers here," she said. "And then pretend that our Chosen girls were attacking us?"

Saori stared at her.

"That's crazy!" Margo said. "We-we cannot just trick the girls! Then, we will have to tell the rescuers the truth!"

"Why not pretend that the Chosen Ones," Emily suggested. "Ignore us, and lead us here, while luring in a horde of zombies? That way, the rescuers would be too worried about saving us to think. We will be out, forcing the rescuers to focus on us, rather than on our sis-I mean, saviors?"

Saori gawked, then smiled.

"Great idea!" Saori squealed, jumping up and down. She stopped, blushing as she realized that she acted like a little girl in front of Margo and Emily.

She cleared her throat, summoning her fan to cool herself down.

"Thank you," Saori said. "Now, shall we eat?"

The two girls smiled, and nodded at Saori.

"I will tell Miho about this," Saori said. "Then, we will talk..."

* * *

 **Kingston Villa**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **2:00 PM; July 15, 20XX**

"Yum!"

All 40 girls sat in a variety of round, rectangular, and even hourglass-shaped tables, as the tops were covered in a variety of clothes looted from previous stores. Miho and Hana both sat with the girls, while Saori checked the kitchen in order to ensure that the food was still fresh.

"Where is Sleepy sister?" asked one of them.

"And the Lion sister?" asked another.

Miho giggled.

"Both are out looting and scouting," she replied.

"The sleepy sister?" asked a particularly short girl. "Why is she even out?"

"She needs exercise," said Saori matter-of-factly, coming in with her tray, piled high with rice, sausages, and veggies. "Man, why am I so hungry?"

"You're not alone," Miho said, looking at her own tray. "Anyway, make sure you have enough for everyone, including Hana..."

Hana blinked, looking at them innocently.

"Why?" she asked, oblivious to her five empty trays; she was on her sixth tray, piled high with so much food that it was hard to tell what was even on it.

Other girls gawked at her, amazed at her appetite and her slim posture. Saori, however, rolled her eyes in disbelief, while Miho giggled nervously.

"A-anyway," Emily said, trying to change the topic. "Sisters, how are we going to get saved?"

Miho blinked, but she and her friends already planned ahead of time.

"We are going to find rescuers," she replied, smiling faintly. "So that you all can escape."

"Yay!" all except four of them roared. Only Emily, Margo, Edith, and Agnes knew what would happen if that would happen; they swallowed and tried to smile.

"OK!" Saori said. "Who wants some more?"

"Me!" some of the girls replied, standing up and dashing to Saori, who carefully led them into the kitchen.

Emily turned to look at the three sisters, as they stared with worrying eyes.

"Saori sister already told me," she whispered.

Margo nodded.

"Miho sis!" Emily said. "I need to go to restroom!"

She jumped out and dashed towards upstairs.

Miho made a small, mysterious smile, with a single tear coming down her right eye...

"OK!" Emily went up to the same balcony where she talked with Miho from before. After all 40 girls got their turn, she remembered going up here again with Miho.

She sighed, watching the horizon of the city before her.

 _Remember,_ she remembered Miho telling her. _You know what to do..._

She panted. She could not tell whether she was sweating, or crying.

Then, the moment that she wanted to see, but also did not want at the same time, happened right before her eyes.

The signal.

* * *

Yukari flashed out a mirror, made by using her gauntlets. She tried to contain her tears, but they fell down.

"Man," Yukari sighed, sobbing quietly. "We have to part so soon..."

"What must be done," Mako chimed in, tears falling down. "Must be done."

Behind them, a group of military helicopters and drones were following hot on their tails.

"Let's go," Mako said, tapping Yukari on the left shoulder.

Yukari sniffed, then nodded as they leaped away, luring the men to their _real_ target...

* * *

"I wish..." Emily said to herself, sweats and tears streaming down from her head. "That Yuka-sister could not do that."

She sighed, then went back in.

She saw the stairs, then deliberately smashed her right knee into one of the railing's poles.

"OOOOWWWWWW!" she screamed.

"Coming!" Margo said, coming up the stairs.

Miho nodded solemnly, knowing what to do.

"Hana and Saori-chan," she said in a stern voice. "I think she saw something, and fell because of that."

"Should we go up?" Saori asked.

"No," Miho said, getting up and summoning her sword. "You two go."

Nodding, Hana and Saori both summoned their weapons, and went out.

"What's going on?" asked one of the orphans.

"I think," Miho began, ready to lie if she had to. "That they-"

"AHHHHH!" a huge scream erupted from the outside.

"Everybody," Miho said, keeping everyone calm. "Go down the basement, now!"

Everybody except a few went down, lining up carefully but shaking.

"Edith," Miho said, taking Agnes up in her arms. "Go up and check Emily."

She nodded, and dashed up.

"OK," Miho said, getting the most mature girls-Dana, Elise, and Mira-to talk to her. "You know what to do. If we do not show up, then assume that we are gone or disappeared, because we are."

The three girls sobbed a little, then nodded as they headed down the basement. Miho closed the door carefully, and put up signs on it. The signs were all drawn and written by the girls, for obvious reasons.

"OK," Miho said, sighing as she went up the stairs. Emily, Margo, and Edith all saw her, and got up.

"You now know what we have to do..." Miho said, as she tried to let down Agnes.

Agnes, however, kept hugging her, not wanting to let go.

"I know," Miho said, as all four little girls started to cry. "You four already know the truth, and so we decided that you will all help out. You girls will pretend to be the ones who locked down this house, while we five will go out and lure both the zombies and the rescue squad. Fortunately, our plan worked."

 _I wish that it did not_ , Emily thought, crying. _We haven't even gotten to sleep more with you!_

 _Man!_ Edith sniffed. _Already gone? I want to see more of their awesome powers!_

 _What has to be done_ , Margo sobbed in silence. _Has to be done._

"I don't want you to go!" Agnes screamed, hugging her right leg again.

Miho wept.

"We have to," she said, kissing each girl on the cheek or forehead. "We are Chosen, so we have a mission. We will go to the source of the apocalypse, end it somehow, and then see what will happen next. If we fail, we fail. If we win, we win. Life goes on."

All four girls hugged Miho, as five streams of tears fell down.

"Be safe!" Emily moaned.

"Survive please!" Margo sniffed.

"And please see us!" Edith sobbed. "If you can!"

"We'll pray for you," Agnes groaned.

Miho nodded, letting the girls go. Margo and Emily both held Agnes, who still wanted to hug her back.

"We're going," Miho said, summoning her sword. It revved faster and faster, as Miho raised it up, and lowered her head down.

"Goodbye."

* * *

 **Kingston Villa**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **3:00 PM; July 15, 20XX**

"What's your status?"

A static voice echoed, as a group of military helicopters and drones swooped an area of the city, bombarding and shooting down zombies and hostiles alike.

"We have neutralized three hostile Chosen," a voice croaked.

"Good!" the Commander said.

"Commander!" another voice echoed.

"Yes?"

"We are chasing two girls!" he shouted through the transmissions. "They are clearly Chosen!"

"Copy that," said the Commander. "Go and find them, track them, and capture them if you can."

"10-4!" rang the voice, before cutting off.

"We haven't seen anyone to rescue," a soldier mumbled from inside of the helicopter. "Man, just killing zombies and hostiles is starting to-"

"Commander!" the same voice screamed. "The two girls are sighted crashing into a villa! And we see three more coming out!"

"Huh?" the Commander asked.

"There are kids in there!" he screamed, seeing four little girls wave their hands, while the five Chosen Ones tried to fight off the horde, but apparently overwhelmed, the five backed off and fled when the helicopters appeared.

"Wait," began the Commander. "Are they-"

"Commander!" five voices roared into his ears all at once, causing him to forget about the Chosen Ones.

"Wha?" he asked, confused.

"The zombies are invading the villa!" multiple voices roared. "We're just going to-"

"KILL THEM ASAP!" the Commander screamed. "Save the kids, for crying out loud!"

The soldiers all commenced.

Three helicopters fired rockets into the horde, throwing the zombies into confusion. Multiple...things that no children could want to see erupted from out of the horde, as the four little girls ran back inside.

"Take this!" one pilot screamed.

He dived his aircraft down, close enough for his cargo of soldiers to start shooting at them.

"One of them is immune to our gunfire!" a soldier reported through the intercom.

"Shoot it with the special gun!" another roared, as he wielded out a unique, futuristic rifle. It had a sleek appearance, covered in shiny, silver armor plates. He aimed, and fired.

"Augh!" the monster screeched, as it jolted before falling down into a strange cloud of black dust.

"Kill them all!" the Commander screamed. "Just kill them!"

"Commander!" one of the pilots said. "We're landing down, in order to track down the little girls."

"Go!" he replied curtly.

 **Kingston Villa**

 **Santa Maria, CA, USA**

 **3:00 PM; July 15, 20XX**

"That was...something."

One of the soldiers panted, as the men surveyed the onslaught. About 1,000 zombies were here, but no more.

"Soldiers win," said one of the soldiers. "Zombies zero."

The Commander snickered, then suddenly laughed.

The others looked with shocked eyes.

"Great joke!" he replied, as his pilot landed down the helicopter. "OK...where are the-"

"We found them!" one of the soldiers declared, carefully leading a stream of girls.

"What happened?" another soldier asked.

"A group of Chosen Ones," Dana said. "Tried to help us, but they had to escape."

Some of the soldiers shook their heads in disbelief, unaware of the true plan.

"Girls," the Commander said, taking up Emily. "Wanna go home?"

"Yes!" all of them screamed.

"Wait," began one of the soldiers. "What about-"

"Little girls are little girls," said the Commander. "There is no point in asking them; in fact, I command that all of you be silent on this matter. We do not even know the Chosen Ones anyway, and the girls are too stressed out to even think."

All 40 girls nodded, sobbing.

"Bring the girls up," the Commander said.

Some of them obeyed and took up the girls. A few, however, were hesitant.

"You can check the girls for any bite wounds," the Commander said. "Leave the girls alone; let them recover, and I hope that they'll be alright."

After entering the aircraft, all of the helicopters rose up, with the drones flying around to shoot down any zombies.

The girls then stayed silent, while the soldiers watched.

"We've finally saved some," said one of the soldiers.

He suddenly sniffed, then cried.

Emily put her right hand to the man, who looked at her with tears.

"Y-you know," he gasped. "We are supposed to save and interrogate anyone whom we save, but you girls..."

"We are all orphan girls," said Emily, loudly in the Commander's radio system.

Everybody suddenly felt silent.

"No interrogation for these girls," the Commander suddenly said. "Little girls found without parents? Nope. Little girls surviving alone? Nope. Little girls who were orphaned? I make it clear...None of you...ever interrogate these girls."

Silence followed, except for the whirling blades of the helicopters.

"But our superiors..." asked one of the soldiers.

"I will take the blame," said the Commander. "Saving lives is more important than traumatizing little girls with 'enhanced interrogation techniques.'"

All men shivered, and obeyed without question.

Sensing that everything went well, Emily silently smiled, and looked out of the window. All of the doors were closed, allowing the girls to move around a little.

"Careful," one of the soldiers said. "Be careful."

"Let them be," said another. "The prospect of freedom from this he...I mean, ahem! Freedom from this monstrous place is going to make them feel giddy."

He was right. All except four of the girls hopped around in their seats, jumping up and down. Some of the soldiers, who had families back home, even played with them.

The Commander looked around, sighing in relief. Suddenly, he noticed the four girls, the only ones who did not seem very happy.

He then silently sat down, twirling with something in his headphone. It was a voice detector, using some Chosen energy to eavesdrop on conversations.

"We are safe," Emily said. "But the Chosen Ones..."

Emily, Margo, Edith, and Agnes all sobbed in silence, as they looked down at the city below.

The Commander nodded, silently understanding what had transpired.

"Major Armstrong!" said a voice. "What's your status there?"

"We have saved 40 girls," he replied. "But they're too shaken to do anything."

"What?" the voice cracked. "Can they even tell us?"

"Sir," Armstrong said in a dark voice. "The girls are traumatized. They may not even know anything, especially about the CO."

The "CO" was a codename for the Chosen Ones.

"Ah," the voice replied, with a little remorse. "Sorry about that. But next time, if you rescue someone, make sure to rescue those whom we can interrogate."

"Understand," Armstrong replied. "10-4."

Click.

Major Armstrong then smiled at the four girls. All of them gasped, then smiled.

He nodded in silence.

"You are safe," he began. "I-"

All four hugged him.

"Thank you," they replied.

"Thank you," he said, a single tear falling down.

"May they be safe," a voice whispered. "And be back."

Armstrong looked down, seeing Agnes with her eyes closed.

He lowered his head.

"May they be strong and fulfill their mission," he replied. "Amen."

"Amen."

"May they succeed," he said. "I wish you five well."

* * *

 **Thank you for understanding. I have finally managed to upload this chapter. I apologize if the quality is not very high; due to some unforeseen circumstances, I am rushing to try and finish.**

 **And thank you to everyone who is loyal to my story!**


	28. Chapter 28: The Gates Open

**Now, this should be a short but bittersweet chapter.**

 **Note: And yes, I am trying to finish this story ASAP, so my apologies if the last few chapters seem a little rushed. But thank you for all the adventure I've had! I enjoyed it!**

 **So, without further ado, let's go.**

 **Important side note: There is another reason why the chapters are short; I am sick.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 28: The Gates Open**

 **Somewhere in the southern shores of San Francisco Bay, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 18, 20XX**

"We are here."

Miho breathed in, and out. She and her friends, other than a few crucial but very short rests (only in the few minutes), traveled all the way up to the nearest shore of the San Francisco Bay, the current site of the Orb.

"And see the sea," Mako gasped, before looking up.

All five girls watched, as a fresh, blue body of water loomed in front of them. Birds sang and flew around, while the trees swayed with the singing winds. It was bright morning, and the Sun smiled upon the waters, its waves rippling with the light.

That is, in front of them.

Behind them, the birds cawed and croaked, as vultures flew around. Smokes still rose from the wrecks everywhere, as the city behind them was still in chaos. Zombies fought against humans, humans fought against zombies...

...but they knew something was amiss, and it was not the apocalypse. It was the source of the apocalypse...

All five of them slightly panted.

"The Orb," Miho said in a low voice, as she felt some kind of mysterious...energy in the waters.

"You feel it?" asked Yukari.

Miho nodded, her sword in hand. All five of them kept their weapons on. Saori tried to strike a cool pose, but was standing awkwardly, as she had no experience with ballet, and almost stumbled. Hana stood still, graceful like the lady that her mother raised her to be. Yukari simply posed like a boxer, her gloves spiked. Mako yawned, leaning on her shield.

"Man," Saori pouted. "We went all the way here, just to confront the Orb, having to jump into the fray and whatnot, and Mako! Stop using your shield like a cane! You look like your grandma!"

"But," Mako groaned. "We haven't had time to even rest or something; we came all the here almost without stopping!"

Miho nodded.

"I know," she said, sighing. "But time is gold here; we have to find them-"

She and all of her friends stretched and yawned.

"See?" Mako groaned again. "We need sleep. Chosen Ones still need sleep."

"She is right," Hana admitted. "I believe that we must rest, so that we can fight."

Miho nodded.

"But we want to spy on it!" Yukari moaned. "Can I?"

Miho shook her head, causing Yukari to lower her head in disappointment.

"Mako is right," Miho said. "Now that we're here, let us find a place to rest."

She looked around, sighting a lone, tall office building.

"Let's go," she said, leaping towards it. Her friends followed, restless for their rest.

* * *

 **A tall office building**

 **Palo Alto, CA, USA**

 **6:00 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"Hmm?"

Miho woke up, realizing that she and her friends had overslept. Indeed, traveling three days almost without resting or even sleeping had taken a toll on them. Testing to see how long they could go without sleeping, she and her friends discovered that they could stay up for quite a while. However, like humans, they still needed rest.

"Ah..."

Yawning, she blinked, as she looked around.

She and all of her team leaned onto a wall of a staircase building together, cuddling up together like penguins in Antarctica. Miho was in the middle, with Saori and Mako on her right, and Hana and Yukari on her left.

She carefully got up, and stretched as she looked over the building.

"Ah, I remember," she whispered. "We set up our base here, and checked our perimeter. Now that I think about it, we put up our tents here, then cooked what food we had. And..."

Miho looked around, sweating a little and giggling.

"...I guess we slept out of exhaustion," she inferred. "It makes sense, since we traveled almost non-stop to the southern part of the Bay Area, and now..."

Miho shook her head, waking herself up. She made a determined face.

"I know why we're here," she said to herself, raising her right hand to her side. Her chainsaw sword appeared in a cloud of golden light, ready to roar.

She looked at it, and sighed.

"It's been only a while," she mused, wielding it around. "It's so weird...going from a nobody in Oarai, to the leader of my team in Oarai, and now..."

She raised her sword up, and revved up its engine. The blade whirled and buzzed.

"...I am this mysterious being called a Chosen One," she said to herself.

She then swung her blade around, as if training in a kendo class. The blade glowed and moaned, as if agreeing with her.

Suddenly, she noticed something glowing on her blade.

It was a reflection of something glowing on...her chest.

She stared at it in silence, contemplating what to do.

 _I remember that it disappeared before_ , she thought. _If that is true, what should I do..._

"Stay there," she suddenly said, surprised at her own resolve.

She then looked down. To her surprise, the tiny, golden orb stayed there.

"Huh..." she wondered. "I guess it hides only when it needs to..."

She then lifted up the orb, which levitated on her raised left hand. Her right hand held the sword, shielding herself from the Sun's glare.

The tiny orb shone, its golden light shining brighter and brighter under the sword's shade.

"Hmm..." she pondered. "I wonder what this is...exactly..."

The orb suddenly floated around, flying around her like a fairy. Miho giggled.

"It sure looks like a fairy," she muttered. "But...what or who are you?"

The orb said nothing, but approached her, until it was at her nose.

Suddenly, its golden layers turned into miniature mirror surfaces, so that the tiny orb looked like a tiny version of a disco ball.

"A mirror ball?" she wondered, looking into it.

It glittered, reflecting a variety of pictures.

The picture of the city, now in ruins.

The picture of the serene waters.

The picture of explosions, as a few buildings blew up under bombs.

The picture of airplanes flying by.

The picture of...herself.

She stared at herself. What she saw was a girl, now taller and more robust, with her light brown hair, shining with an orangish tone in the sunlight. The wind blew, causing her hair to sway like a silky curtain.

"Who am I now?" she asked.

She stared at herself.

"And..." she said. "Was saving...everybody...worth it?"

She saw herself, tears streaming down.

"W-wait," she said again. "Wh-why am I crying?"

Her heart beat faster and faster, and the orb twitched, and beat along with her heat.

Her heart beat, and the orb beat.

Both beat.

 _Thump._

 _Thump..._

 _Thump-thump-thump!_

Suddenly, she cringed and said it.

"I...I want to know whether saving everyone was worth it!"

Suddenly, she felt a pulling sensation. In front of her, a strange golden vortex formed, acting like a black hole. She felt like it was sucking her in. This time, however, she relented and...went in.

* * *

She blinked, as she was back in...

She gasped, as she realized that she was in the same tomb back in one of her dreams. She then saw the body of-  
"Watcher Convent!" she gasped, approaching him, but backed off when she remembered her previous experience.

Bowing down in respect, she then raised her sword, and created a stylized coffin-sized hole next to the body. She then looked around, and found a ladder. With some difficulty, she lifted the body and carefully put it into the pit. She then helped to cross his arms, careful to not touch him.

Once it was done, she stared at him, his face now peaceful and even...smiling.

"Your sacrifice was not in vain," she said, bowing down.

Suddenly, she sensed something between her clapped hands, but she was not too surprised right now.

"I guess this came back," she replied, putting the necklace back on his neck. "Rest in peace, Watcher Convent."

Suddenly, before she could cover the grave, she found herself being sucked out. As she disappeared, Convent suddenly twitched, and opened his eyes.

"Well done," Convent said. "We Watchers have done our duty. The world of Watchers is now fulfilled; now rise, the Wild Ones of the New Age."

He then drew his last breath, and his body disappeared into a cloud of golden dust.

* * *

Miho suddenly found herself in front of a familiar warehouse, and gasped.

"Wow!" she said to herself. "The Fortmart Warehouse!"

Suddenly, a man went up to her, panting.

"Y-you!" he gasped, looking up.

"Joshua Cracker!" she gasped. "You're alive!"

"Barely!" he grunted. "After somehow exterminating the last zombies, I spent the rest of the days...surviving inside of that warehouse. But why are you here?"

"I..." she pondered. "I guess I teleported here."

He nodded, mysteriously silent.

"I see," he said in a strange voice. "I think you are confused."

"Y-yes," Miho admitted. "I think I teleported here, entered a portal or something...magical."

"You will see more," Joshua continued in his strange voice, his face also strange. "When you meet Rudolf."

Miho blinked, and gasped.

"Wait," she began. "He's-"

Before she could finish, a golden vortex reappeared, and it sucked her in before disappearing once more. Joshua nodded.

"Goodbye," Joshua said. "Yes, you will see more, because you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."

* * *

"Miho?!" Alice whispered. Miho blinked, finding herself standing inside of a helicopter.

"Alice-chan!" she gasped, hugging her. "What are you all up to?"

"Flying still," Alice said, sighing. "Anyway, how did you end up here? I saw you suddenly appear in a cloud of golden dust!"

"Well, it's a long story," Miho said. "And...they're all asleep?"

Azumi and Rumi both were asleep, leaning their heads away from each other. Megumi, who was in the pilot's seat, was drowsing.

Miho shook her head, and made a single clap, causing a shockwave of energy that stunned Megumi.

"Huh?" she gasped. "Oops! I should have been concentrating! Ahem! Alice-sama! Sorry for that!"

"It's alright," Alice replied.

"And thank you," she whispered to Miho.

"You're welcome," Miho replied, smiling.

"And you're...taller?!" Alice asked, gasping.

"Yes," she admitted. "I am Chosen now."

"Chosen..." Alice mused. "So, I guess the news is real, after all."

Miho gulped.

"No," Alice said. "You're not bad, with the news being biased."

She sighed in relief.

"But what happened?" Alice asked. "And we're fine and all."

"It's a long story," Miho said. "But I guess...I wanted to see you all again."

Alice nodded, tears flowing out.

"Where are you all headed?" Miho asked, feeling her own tears falling down.

"We're flying down through the southern borders of the Bay," Alice said. "But that...Orb thing is getting strong. We're staying away from it."

"Good!" Miho nodded. "Stay away from it, because we're confronting it."

"You and your friends?!" Alice cried, almost waking up the others. "Please, be careful!"

"I will," Miho began. "And meet us at-"

Suddenly, she got sucked into a cloud of golden vortex again, before she could finish her sentence.

"Aw..." Alice groaned. "Disappeared? Guess that's what heroes have to do."

She smiled.

"Megumi."

"Yes?"

"Keep flying down, but follow the borders of the Bay Area."

"Roger that!"

* * *

"I am tired of being sucked into a vortex again and again," Miho said to herself.

She looked around, finding herself in a dense area of forest.

"And where am I-oh!"

A familiar girl hugged her right leg, as she looked down. She had angelic-blond hair with brilliant blue eyes.

"Ma-Maylee?!" she gasped.

"Miho!" she screamed. "You're alive!"

"Miho..." three more voices echoed from behind her, and she turned around.

Jorge, Martha, and Gabriel stood by, gasping at her.

"You all..." Miho gasped, tears falling down her eyes. "How did you..."

"That's our best guess," Jorge admitted, shrugging. "The drones were about to shoot at us, and something...crashed into the drones and destroyed them. By the time we woke up from shock or something, we were still intact."

"But aren't you still in danger?" Miho asked.

"But where can we go?" Jorge asked.

"Wait..." Miho wondered, looking down at her hands. Both started to radiate a strange glow.

"Wellington-sama!" Miho uttered. "Hold onto me!"

"O-OK!" they replied, and held her. Jorge blushed, noticing that Miho was now taller and...

"Ahem!" Martha said, comically elbowing him. "She looks...sexier, isn't she, darling?"

"Ah-yes..." Jorge cleared his throat, as Gabriel blinked at his father.

All four held unto her, and the same golden vortex appeared.

"Jump!" Miho said out loud.

* * *

"Miho?!" Joshua stuttered, finding her back. "Back already-oh?"

"Joshua-sama," Miho said, as the family found themselves right in front of the Fortmart Warehouse.

Joshua blinked, as he found her with a family of four. A little girl, a young teenage boy, a mother, and a father appeared before him.

"Guess you're our ally," Jorge said, immediately shaking hands with Joshua.

"Well," Joshua uttered with some hesitance. "I-I guess fate or something divine has led us here."

"Thank you," Jorge said, bowing a little to Miho. "We know that we're safe."

She blinked, then nodded.

"Right?" Miho asked Joshua.

"Yes," Joshua admitted. "After eliminating the last zombies, nobody has ever come up here for days. I have also managed to find a functional walkie-talkie, and rescue should be coming soon."

"Th-thank you so much," Martha said, hugging Miho.

"Miho sister!" Maylee said, holding unto her. "You have to go, right?"

"Yes," she admitted with hesitance.

Maylee then hugged her on the right leg, then smelled her.

"Miho sister?" she asked. "Did you meet Liuyang?"

Miho blinked.

"Yes!" she replied, then Maylee jumped up and down for joy. As soon as she let go, the golden vortex appeared and sucked her in.

Jorge and Martha both nodded at each other, understanding what was going on.

"Guess my friend was right," Gabriel admitted. "But man...things are crazy here in California."

"I have a feeling," Joshua said. "That this horror...will be over."

"Really?!" Maylee gasped, hugging the stranger tight on his right leg. "Thank you, mister!"

Joshua smiled, tears streaming down from his eyes.

"Finally," he uttered. "My sins are forgiven."

* * *

"In another helicopter?" Miho pondered. "OK, what's this golden orb doing to me-"

She felt another girl holding her right leg, and looked down. Smiling, she lifted up the familiar Chinese girl up to her face.

"Liuyang," she said with a smile.

"You're back!" she began. "I-"

"Hush!" Miho said, finger to her lips.

She looked around. Apparently, both of her parents were asleep, inside of a futuristic-looking helicopter.

"We're going home now," Liuyang admitted with some sadness. "But I am glad to see you again!"

"Thanks," Miho said. "But remember us, too."

Liuyang nodded, as Miho put her down.

"And thank you," Liuyang said. "Guess it's goodbye properly, right?"

Miho nodded.

"I am glad to see you again," she replied.

Liuyang nodded.

"Goodbye," Miho said, smiling.

"Goodbye!" Liuyang said, waving. "I am glad to say it now!"

Suddenly, her mother stirred. Before she opened her eyes, Miho disappeared into her vortex.

"Liuyang?" her mother asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing bad," Liuyang admitted with a bright smile. "I managed to say goodbye to dear friend and sister of mine."

"Eh?" her mother asked.

* * *

"Huh?" Miho blinked.

She was in a strange, blackish tunnel, but very wide. She noticed distant, white lights on both ends of the tunnel.

"Ah," a man's voice echoed. "You're here?"

She turned around, and gasped.

"Rudolf?" she asked.

"I am Rudolf," the scientist said.

She blinked, noticing that he looked perfectly human. Even his lab coat was pure white and intact.

"Thank you for saving me," he said, bowing down on his knees.

"Oh no-no!" she said, waving her hands. "But thanks for giving us important information."

"You're welcome," he said. "But don't worry about where we are now; it's not for you to understand. I am going to cross the Rubicon, but I guess I already did."

"But where are you going?" Miho asked.

"I cannot answer that," he replied. "Because you are living, and you are here to get one last piece of advice from me, before I go for good."

"Wha-what is it?" she asked.

"Remember Watcher Convent?" he asked.

Miho gasped.

"He already went through," he said. "I saw him go to that direction, in front of us. Before going, he told me that I should wait here, because I am going to see a 'marvelous individual.' And here you are."

"So..." Miho began, but Rudolf held out his hand in silence.

"So let's get to the point," he said. "You are now near the Orb. The Orb will be defeated, but it will be absorbed by Nicolae. Nicolae will try and take over, but you are the only one who can defeat him for good. In order to do so, that strange power of yours seems to generate power from the kindness of your heart, as you help out multiple people. You need to enter through it two more times."

He bowed down.

"And one more thing," he said again, lifting up his head. "Once you defeat him, avoid giving him the killing blow. He put a curse on himself, so that you will die from it if you do. Instead, let the King of Many Lizards kill him, for that is the only way he can be killed for good."

Miho blinked, puzzled by the last words. She opened her mouth, but he stopped her.

"That is all," he said, before walking away.

Miho stood by, contemplating his words.

"Defeat him," she mumbled. "But do not kill him; let an animal deal the final blow."

Suddenly, the same vortex appeared. This time, it did not suck her in, but she turned to face Rudolf. Rudolf looked back, seeing her determined face, nodding as she walked into the vortex and disappeared.

"Farewell, and I wish you well in God's name. Man, I haven't said God's name properly for years..."

* * *

This time, Miho did not hesitate, as she found herself on top of a combat jeep, apparently out of commission, because of a car battery next to it.

"Come on!" a familiar man appeared, coming out of a garage. "I am-oh!"

He dropped his stuff, upon seeing Miho on top of the roof. He bowed down, and then calmly walked into the driver's seat.

"What are you doing?!" a voice called out from inside. "You did not change the battery!"

"I don't need to," he replied. "Hit it, Chosen One."

Nodding, she struck her blade into the roof; instead of going through, the blade attached to the roof like a plug, suddenly allowing it to move. Looking up, she made a face, trying to summon a vortex, which appeared.

"Hello again," Miho said, as she and the jeep entered. "I have a feeling I know you guys..."

* * *

"Another survivor bunch?" Joshua remarked, unsurprised as Miho appeared again.

She went down, as Maylee hugged her again. Jorge, Martha, Gabriel, and Joshua were sitting down in a circle of chairs, but got up when they saw the vortex.

Five people went out of the jeep, confused but glad to be alive.

"Wh-where are we?!" a woman gasped. "And-Michelle?!"

Miho giggled, as she jumped down and bowed down to them.

"I gave you a pseudonym," Miho said. "I am Miho."

"Miho!" all five people gasped, and they all shook hands with her.

"Private David King!" one of the three men declared.

"I am Private Dave Burns!" another said.

"I am Ryan," he blushed, shaking hands with her. "Thanks for talking to us back there."

"But what happened?" Miho asked.

"We had to flee," King admitted. "General North was a tough guy. I rode in my jeep, and went out. Its battery was bad, but you saved us in the nick of time!"

"I am Phoebe Peterson!" a woman said. "I was the one who gave you the name tags! Thank you for giving us your name!"

"And you..." Miho said to the last woman. "You saved us by letting us through..."

The last woman nodded.

"I am Rebecca Nurse," she replied. "Do not fear; it was on my volition. You girls are righteous; I feel it."

"Thank you," Miho said, bowing down.

Maylee then let go of her, and went to hug Rebecca. Suddenly, Miho got sucked into a vortex again.

"Again and again," Gabriel sighed. "Man, being a superhero is actually hard work, eh?"

"Do you want to be one?" Martha asked, teasing him.

"Actually no," he sighed. "Guess being normal is so good after all."

He smiled.

"But she's cool," he said. "And...her chest."

Martha rolled her eyes, as she teased him, almost wrestling him.

"Jorge," she grunted. "It looks like your...wandering eyes are hereditary."

"D-don't blame me!" he said, waving his hands. "But she's beautiful now, you know?"

"And what?" she teased again. "Multiple Chosen girls out there to take you away from me?"

He groaned, but smiled as she smiled back. The whole group laughed, as they sighted a rescue squad coming there way.

"Great!" Ryan said. "We're finally being rescued!"

"Won't we get in trouble?" Phoebe asked.

"Nope," Ryan replied. "We're being rescued, not interrogated, hopefully."

"We'll deal with it," Jorge said, giving a strange smile. "I have... _friends_ who can help. It sure is good to be rich..."

* * *

"Emily..." Miho said, as she was the only who seemed awake.

Emily hugged her tight, as much as possible.

"I don't want you to leave," she admitted, sobbing.

She patted her, hugging her as she lifted the orphan girl up like a mother. Looking around, Miho noticed the rest of the orphan girls and soldiers sleeping soundly.

Or so she thought.

"Chosen One," Major Armstrong said, causing Miho to flinch and stare at him. "Do not fear; I am with you."

"Major Armstrong!" a voice cracked through his transmission. "We have located a particularly powerful Chosen One, and she appears to be right in the middle of your fleet of helicopters!"

"Major Sergeant Bradley," Armstrong replied over the radio, as Miho was ready to summon her sword. "We will deal with this, so 10-4."

"10-4," Bradley replied.

 _Click._

"You are free to go," he replied.

"Wait," Miho said, blinking. "That easily?"

"I have been suspicious of reports about the Chosen Ones," he blurted out. "And I have...doubts about them being dangerous and all. Anything in life is a double-edged sword; use well, and it's good. Use bad, and it's evil. So, to hear the news portraying you girls as overwhelmingly bad and dangerous made me doubt."

Miho nodded, and hugged Emily for a while before getting up.

"Thank you for your help," Miho said.

"Don't worry," Armstrong admitted.

Margo, Edith, and Agnes moaned, then suddenly got up and hugged her.

"Goodbye, all of you," she said, sobbing as all four girls huddled up to her.

"Goodbye!" they replied, sobbing.

The cries started to wake up the soldiers.

Miho deliberately let go of the girls, and disappeared into the vortex that appeared.

"Armstrong!" Bradley's voice reappeared, as the soldiers started to wake up. "What's going on?! The signal of the Chosen is gone!?"

"Problem solved," he replied. "And my soldiers are sleeping, so I need to discipline them."

"Good!" Bradley replied, before turning off.

"Soldiers!" he cleared his throat.

"Eh?"

"Thank you for being soldiers," he replied, smiling. "And for being...heroes. OK, you can sleep now."

"Yay!" they all replied, before crashing back into sleep.

"You will need it," he mumbled. "You will need it."

* * *

 **A tall office building**

 **Palo Alto, CA, USA**

 **6:30 AM; July 19, 20XX**

Miho blinked, as she appeared right back at her base.

"Miporin!"

"Miho-san."

"Nishizumi-dono!"

"Miho-sama."

Her friends all approached her, fully awake.

"Where have you been?" Saori asked, hands on her sides. "All of us were worried sick about you!"

Miho blinked. The sun was now fully up over the horizon, blazing down upon the darkened world. Miho found herself on the same spot before. This time, however, it was covered in a picnic blanket, stained with red stripes all over its white background. A few blue stars circled the edges.

"Except me," Mako said nonchalantly, causing Saori to wrestle with her.

"Well..." Miho began. "I was experimenting with-"

BOOM!

"Wha?!" everybody reacted, as something suddenly struck a side of the building.

"Everybody!" Miho commanded. "Grab the belongings! Let's go!"

They all leaped out just in time, as the building crashed down.

"Already!?" Saori groaned. "We were just about to get ready, and voila! Another sudden attack on our base!"

"Everybody!" Miho quickly said. "I-I think I can summon a vortex or portal or gate or something!"

"Huh?!" everybody reacted with various degrees of surprise, amazement, and shock.

"Here!" she called out, summoning her tiny orb again.

It immediately zoomed away, towards a massive ball of sickly purple energy. The tiny orb negated it, turning into a huge cloud of beautiful golden dust.

"Oops," Miho said. "At least we're safe."

She then concentrated, and another golden orb appeared.

"Here!" she shouted, shooting it away. The orb then created a golden vortex.

"Let's go!" she called out, immediately entering it.

All of her friends followed in without hesitating, just in time as a huge ball of sickly purple energy slammed into where they were, creating a colossal crater.

* * *

 **On a hilltop...**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **6:35 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"OK!" Saori said, not panting. "What's going on?! You were gone for one minute, the next moment you can teleport us?!"

"I don't know whether I can teleport you all or not!" Miho admitted. "But I think that it's done with a reason..."

They looked around, and gasped.

They saw it.

Beneath the fog, something bright and orange-vermilion rose over the clouds.

Its towers rose above, signaling hope in a fog of despair.

Rails connected the towers down to the bridge below.

"The Golden Gate Bridge!" Saori gasped. "Wow!"

"Even in apocalypse," Yukari said in awe. "It's..."

"Beautiful," Hana mused, staring at it.

Mako said nothing, but her face was bright and smiling.

Miho stared at it, feeling stronger than ever before, because she felt something...approaching her.

"Get ready," she said, summoning her sword, revving up its engine.

They all obeyed.

Saori struck up her fans, opening them and flapping them.

Hana waved her naginata, spinning it around as if dancing.

Yukari clenched her gauntlets, flexing them.

Mako leaned on her shield, playing with her urumi in her right hand.

They all looked up, noticing it for the first time...

* * *

 **The Orb.**

The perpetrator of the apocalypse.

The source of the Chosen.

The very reason for the existence of so many strange questions...

* * *

"We are here," Miho whispered. "Get ready..."

They all raised their weapons, as Miho was ready to summon her orb.

Suddenly, a huge beam of bright blue energy emitted from the ocean. In response, the Orb shot its beam of sickly purple light. Strangely, instead of passing through, the beams suddenly turned into what looked like hands at the intersections where they met, as if they were hands in an arm wrestling match, except the hands were pushing against each other.

"What the..." Yukari gasped, as she and others watched in shock.

Suddenly, massive roars of all kinds rose, as the seas turned turbulent, and the sky darkened. The fog disappeared in a flash, and the Golden Gate Bridge shook and shook.

All around, the animals were turning rabid, turning on against each other, attacking anything living or dead. Human, animal, and even zombie were fair game. Multiple animals, especially the stray kinds, turned into monstrous forms, and attacked humans. Humans turned savage, and slaughtered and ate zombies. Zombies suddenly weakened, morphing into wretched, fetid pools, which dissipated.

"This truly is the beginning of the end," Miho said, raising her sword. "Girls, be ready. We are going in."

* * *

 **It's the end.**

 **Stay determined.**

 **And review as usual; this is intended to be short but sweet. I hope I did it right, with more twists at the end.**

 **Tune in next time, as the story draws to an epic finale!**


	29. Chapter 29: Opening Final

**Now, the story is coming to a close!**

 **Thank you to everyone, all 23 people who favorited this story, and all 24 people who follow this story, for all your reviews and support!**

 **Chapter 29 is NOT the end; the next chapter is.**

 **How and why? Read the whole chapter. If you are the kind who likes spoilers, just skip down to the ending, but I recommend reading the whole chapter.**

 **Anyway, this chapter is a nice touch to the epic finale, so here we go!**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 29: Opening Final**

 **Southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **6:45 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"This is going to suck."

The words flew out of Miho's mouth, shocking her friends. They almost thought that she cussed; she did not, but the unusual language underscored that she was serious.

"We're just minutes into the battle!" Saori shouted, striking a zombie in the face with her fans. "And it's going to be this bad?!"

The zombie, despite getting only a few slashes on its face, screeched in pain, and melted as if it was critically struck into a cloud of red dust. Saori stared at it, amazed at how _weak_ it was.

"Yes," Miho gasped, striking a gargantuan zombie, but missed by inches so that she landed only a scratch on it. Despite that, the scratch spread rapidly, causing the zombie to roar in pain, and melted like what happened to Saori's own target, except into a cloud of golden dust.

"But the zombies are weak!" Saori cried out, burning a few with her fans.

"Not the zombies," Miho said. "The...animals..."

A few stray dogs suddenly limped into view, as if trying to struggle with something inside. They cackled and screeched, as they suddenly grew and developed blackish skin.

Miho panted, trying to calm down.

"That Orb..." Hana whispered, summoning blue-bladed spikes, which sprouted from the ground like bamboo shoots, impaling a horde of both zombies and mutant animals. "Gives me...a bad feeling."

She shivered.

"You're not alone!" Yukari roared, punching a mutant animal in the face. It looked like a dog, but 20 ft long and with a twisted, tiger-like face. It winced, before falling down on the ground to twitch in pain. Yukari kicked it, causing it to moan before dissipating into a cloud of silver-white dust.

"Oh..." Mako shook, hiding behind her shield, as her urumi struck foe after foe like a snake. "This is really scary."

"You still scared?!" Saori groaned, jumping away from a pack of mutant dogs. "Ah! These are gross!"

"Mu-mutant dogs," Mako moaned, as she held her shield to block a bite from a twisted dog. "First, we had zombies, but now they're starting to..."

Miho struck a zombie. Despite only slicing its right arm, it screeched and liquefied into a fetid pool of disgusting ooze, although it soon turned into a cloud of golden dust.

"Get weaker," she confirmed. "Only for them to be replaced by..."

"Zombified animals or something?!" Saori screamed, shooting out fireballs into a mass of dying zombies. They easily melted away, then turned into clouds of red dust.

"No," Miho said, striking a mutilated beast. Despite being the size of a bear, Miho could tell that it was a former cat, twisted almost beyond recognition.

"They're twisted by the Orb," Miho uttered. "I think it's losing it."

Miho looked up. The Orb was still firing its purple beam, which at the end turned into a hand, pushing and wrestling against another hand, which was blue. Miho squinted her eyes, as they zoomed in focus.

She knew that the Orb was shooting out that purple laser, but the blue laser was...strange. It was coming from the sea, so she let her eyes zoom more, in order to find the source of it.

She gasped.

"The blue beam!" Miho shouted, striking a mutant dog down just in time before it bit her. "Is coming from a carrier!"

"What carrier?!" the others screamed, as they struggled to strike down a huge pack of mutant dogs. Varying from lion-sized to rhino-sized, the canine monsters charged towards the girls.

"Eat them!" one of them roared.

"Eek!" Hana and Saori both screeched, startled by the sudden voice of the dog.

"Jump up!" Miho commanded, as she and others jumped up to a cliff, climbing up. The dogs tried to climb, but their mutant paws could not climb. They growled and barked, roaring at their quarry. Suddenly, a group of humans rushed out of nowhere, trying to charge through a horde of monsters.

"Move it!" the leader of them, a soldier, barked orders.

"Is he nuts?!" Saori screamed, as the soldier shot at the dogs. They all turned around, and charged at the lone soldier.

"Augh!" he screamed, as the numerous bites shredded him into bits in a few seconds. Miho and her friends almost threw up, but leaped towards the survivors, dragging all five of them up on a lone cliff, just in time.

"Stay here!" Miho said. "And call for help!"

The five members-two men, two women, and a girl-nodded in gratitude, as the heroes jumped down to lure the monsters away.

"What's up with this apocalypse?!" Mako moaned. "One moment we were riding on our tanks..."

"...the next moment," Yukari barked, striking a mutant dog. "Zombies appeared."

"And then the Chosen Ones," Hana remarked, impaling a few dogs with spikes summoned from the ground.

"And then this PAMC and all kinds of crazy conspiracies!" Saori screeched. "I am sick and tired of all this! I want to go home!"

"We all want to," Miho declared, striking a zombie, which quickly vaporized. "But first, we need to defeat the Orb, then find a way to..."

Miho suddenly became silent, staring at her sword. The reflection on the blade showed her, looking normal except a little more mature. Despite being golden in color, the blade clearly showed some obvious changes in her, her light brown hair and eyes now of a brighter, more orangish tone, especially with golden...stripes lining her brown hair.

"...to become normal again," Miho finally said it.

All of her friends turned around, silenced by the revelation. Even the animals seemed to hesitate, then roared and charged at them. Miho stabbed the ground with her sword, causing a shockwave of golden energy to radiate out, killing all of the monsters in the vicinity of about 1,000 feet.

"Oh..." Saori said, realizing the ramifications of Miho's words.

"Until then," Hana remarked, holding out her naginata. "We have to..."

"Guess we have to think about that later," Yukari admitted, scratching her head. "Man, I got so much into fighting, I forgot about that!"

"Something we have to contemplate later," Mako said. "And-LOOK OUT!"

Mako's nonchalant face broke, showing shock as a purple ball of energy suddenly struck. Although it missed Miho, the shockwave blasted her away, smashing her into a nearby cliff.

"MIHO!" all of her friends screamed, charging through a horde of mutant animals, as they approached the seemingly limp body of their leader.

Shaking her head, she got up and charged at a particularly giant monster, which appeared to have been a former pitbull, now the size of a hippopotamus and with colossal jaws. She decapitated it with a clean slice to the head, turning it into a cloud of golden dust.

"Sorry about that," Miho said. "I am fine."

"Man!" Saori began. "You almost-wagh!"

She barely dodged a swipe from a bipedal monster.

"We-we-werewolves?!" she screamed, blasting it away with a fireball.

"No!" Miho gasped. "Dogs mutated to walk on legs like humans!"

"That still makes them werewolves!" Saori screamed again, rapidly firing balls of flames like a machine gun.

"N-no," Mako shivered, letting her urumi slice around, striking enemies left and right like a dancing snake. "Were-dogs a-are a better terminology for them."

"Stop correcting me!" Saori said, striking enemies left and right. "Just fight them!"

Miho swung her sword around like a samurai, cleaving monsters left and right. She silently prayed for the poor souls of the former animals, wishing them a happy afterlife.

"May you be free from suffering," Miho whispered, decapitating a former Labrador retriever, which now looked like a horrifically horned hellhound.

Saori wildly flew around, almost flying like a bird, as she rapidly fired blasts after blasts of red-hot flames at the hordes. Hana calmly impaled monsters after monsters with spikes that magically sprouted from the ground, while cleaving those that were near with her naginata. Yukari fought like a street fighter, smashing and throwing enemies with ease. Mako hid from behind her shield, while letting her urumi do the hard work of slicing enemies apart.

* * *

"How long is this battle going to last?!" Saori screamed. "I know that we're Chosen, but we may have to run away!"

Miho nodded in grim realization. They had been fighting for what felt like hours, but Miho checked her phone with her left hand, while parrying blows from monsters with her sword in her right hand.

"We fought for 35 minutes straight," Miho said seriously. "We better run now."

"But where to?" Yukari asked, as more hordes appeared. This time, even Miho gasped, as a new group of twisted animals rammed through a pack of mutant dogs, flinging them away like pieces of garbage.

"Oh no," Miho uttered. "Mutant pigs."

The monsters charged through the packs, catapulting most of the dogs away. The sickly faces of the former pigs were now masks of grotesque warts and tusks, looking more like an orc's shield than a true pig's head. One of them saw the girls, and gave out a hideous screech.

"Augh!" the girls winced, covering their ears in response. Miho, however, quickly saw the other animals charge at her team.

"Get ready!" she warned, raising her sword to create a pillar of light. The giant projection of light caused the dogs to panic, while the mutant feral pigs became even more enraged, and ran faster and faster. Miho then grunted, and smashed the pillar into the ground. Half of the pigs were obliterated, but the survivors then managed to charge.

"Look out!" Miho gasped, panting from using up her energy. "I-augh!"

One mutant boar managed to gore her, then catapulted her into the face of a cliff. Something cracked in her neck spine, and Miho groaned.

"Miho!" the others screamed, coming to her aid. Hana calmly but angrily impaled the boar, then swung her naginata and struck it like a a catapult, flinging it away.

"You OK?" Saori asked, checking her.

"I am fine," Miho said. "But I think my spine is cracked."

"Good thing you're Chosen!" Saori gasped. "Because that means you're paralyzed!"

"It should not take long," Mako shivered, as she and others went into defense mode. The hordes of monsters, canine and porcine alike, started to converge on the survivors. Even the feline monsters started to prowl on the flanks, trying to find a weak point in the defense.

"Another standoff again?!" Saori grunted.

"Stop complaining," Mako moaned nonchalantly. "And just be Chosen; we live together, and we fight together."

"Now you sound more mature, for crying out aloud!" Saori pouted, but smiled. "Let's finish this."

Saori struck up a crane-like pose, while Yukari raised her fists. Hana nailed the ground with her naginata, shooting out more spikes from the ground. This time, instead of green spikes, the spikes looked like blue blades, identical to the one on her naginata.

"Huh," Hana remarked. "New power?"

"EPIC PHOENIX CRASH!" Saori roared, throwing her fans into the air. They both fused together, and shot out flames, turning into a bird-like projection of flames that swooped down, and burned a huge area into flames. The fans then reappeared instantly in her hands.

"Man," Mako sighed. "You played too many video games, didn't you?"

Saori blushed in silence, while Mako merely let her urumi strike enemies here and there, causing confusion. Yukari grunted, and roared. She blinked, as her roar sounded more pantherine than human, as the roar caused the animals to fly away, as if a huge gust of wind had struck them.

"OK!" Saori said, checking Miho. "Your spine! It's still healing, but it will take a while-"

She suddenly collapsed, panting hard.

"Oh!" she grunted. "I used up a lot of energy!"

"Saori-san," Hana said, standing still. She suddenly limped, and knelt down, panting too.

"Oh!" Yukari also moaned, crashing down unto the floor on her butts, panting.

"Man," Mako groaned. "You all are tired already?"

"Mako!" Saori panted. "You-you...it's up to you now."

She paled, and turned around. The animals were now starting to approach even closer, growling and baring hideously blackish teeth.

"Oh..." she moaned, realizing the magnitude of her situation. "Mi-Miho..."

"Hang on!" Miho said, trying to get up. However, the paralysis still had not healed, so Miho could barely move her hands.

Saori and Hana both got up, trying to make a last stand, but collapsed again.

Miho sweated a little, but this time, she decided to just lower her head calmly, and...

"Somebody..." Miho prayed in a low voice. "Help us."

GGGRRRRAAAWWWWWRRRRRR!

An inhuman roar echoed from behind a cliff, causing everybody, including the animals, to turn in that direction. A colossal silhouette of something bipedal and scaly, its skin glistening a little in the sunlight, thundered into view.

All of the animals, even the boar that knocked down Miho, flinched and screeched in terror. A few of the werewolf-like monsters, including the boar, rose up on their feet in an effort to fight against the new nemesis.

Miho and her friends looked up, and gasped.

"Are you kidding me..."

"No way..."

"What the?!"

"Am I dreaming?!"

"No," Miho blinked, surprised. "It looks like pictures from the books I saw back as a kid."

* * *

 **Southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **7:30 AM; July 19, 20XX**

The mutant boars and dogs rose up on their legs, so that they looked like ten-feet monstrosities. However, the animal continued to charge, kicking the monsters with its feet, the three giant claws on each foot knocking away the monsters like pins from a bowling ball. The bipedal monsters charged, trying to bite it. However, its scales were surprisingly strong, and the bites did not even make a dent. The animal only grunted, spinning around to throw away the animals. The largest of the mutant animals, an elephant-sized monstrosity of a former feral pig, rose up and roared, appearing more like an orc than an animal.

The new animal just grunted, and roared. Its huge mouth, lined with giant, blackish teeth, glistened in the sunlight. The orc-like pig flinched, before trying to ram into it.

 _Crunch!_

The bipedal animal casually bit the pig's head in its mouth, and let it fall down to the ground, liquefying into a pool of black, fetid ooze. The animal, victorious, spat to remove the fetid blood from its mouth.

Miho barely lifted up her sword, and the pillar of light appeared, before she slammed it down, scaring the animals. Taking advantage, the animal then spun around, knocking away monsters with its giant tail, while smashing them into bits with its jaw and its colossal legs.

One mutant dog leaped for its tiny arms, each with two claws on it.

 _Rip!_

Without a second thought, the animal swiped the dog with its claws, instantly killing it. The other animals panicked, and screamed away in terror.

Miho panted, keeping her sword raised, albeit shaking a little. The girls all then got up, quickly recovered from their fatigue. However, they were shocked at what was before them...

Then, the animal turned around to look at the five girls standing before it.

The girls stared at it for a while, both mesmerized and horrified.

It was on its two, colossal legs that looked like that of a dragon.

Its tail swayed like a tree branch, as if a gust of wind was blowing through it.

Its gargantuan, grotesquely teethed mouth panted in the sunlight, as its teeth glistened with the fresh blood from its previous victims.

The sunlight poured from above, shining upon its strange, armor-like scales, which glittered with a blackish-green color.

It slowly walked up towards the girls, eyeing the girls with its oddly...blue eyes. They did not look like that of a reptile; it looked rather...friendly for a-

"Hmm," the animal mumbled. "I finally appear at last."

"Yes," Miho sighed in relief. "You did."

"Long time no see," the animal said. "I...I wanted to fight you, but things happened."

"Understandable," Miho said, her spine finally healing. She got up, but remained seated on the floor.

"You OK?" the animal asked, squatting down a little on its legs. Its huge, fleshy tail even wagged back and forth a little.

Miho giggled.

"You look like a dog with your tail wagging like that," she remarked innocently.

The animal frowned.

"I am a dinosaur," it groaned. "Not a mere lowly mongrel."

Everybody stared up at it. The dinosaur frowned visibly.

"You never heard of a talking animal?" it growled. "No, you have never seen a living dinosaur, either. Huh, you humans are funny-wait, you girls are Chosen. Hmm, well."

It stretched out its body, wagging its tail and waving its legs around. Its tiny arms wiggled around, almost like worms.

Miho giggled.

"What's so funny?" the dinosaur asked.

"Your arms are cute," Miho remarked. "Tyrannosaurus rex, I suppose?"

The dinosaur gawked, then growled.

"Well," it grunted. "I know that many of the...human hunters wanted to capture me and all. I don't know why..."

The other girls stared at each other. Of course, they KNEW why humans would want to capture it...

"You know," Miho said. "You are the most famous of all dinosaurs alive."

"Eh?" it asked, blinking its huge, blue eyes. "Tyrannosaurus rex...A strangely long name. I knew it as soon as I arose, but did not know why it's such a famous name."

"Did you..." Saori asked, but shook. She held unto Mako, who held her back. Yukari stared up at her, almost like a scared cat. Hana gulped audibly, and chastised herself silently for her unladylike manner.

"So," Miho asked, finally getting up and grabbing her sword. "You...got revived?"

"I guess," the dinosaur admitted. "My memory is fuzzy. All I know was that I was in a weird...white cave or something. But with weird lights and all. Next to me was something...called a table or something you humans call? On top of it was a piece of bone with marrow inside of it."

"Eh?" the girls asked. Mako, however, frowned a little, trying to think.

"In some kind of a laboratory?" asked Miho. "Like in movies?"

The dinosaur frowned.

"Guess so," it uttered. "But like I said, my memory is vague; something about being 'made from a piece of tissue' or something."

Suddenly, Mako gasped.

"Oh wow," she replied. "You were revived from a piece of flesh."

"Huh?!" the dinosaur and the other girls asked, surprised.

"What do you mean?" Saori asked. "There is no way for any dinosaur remain to still have fresh flesh after 65 million years!"

"66 million years," Mako corrected. "And yes, some scientists, to their shock and disbelief, discovered a few dinosaur remains, especially from that of _Tyrannosaurus rex_ , a few marrow remains with some flesh and even blood still...remaining."

Silence filled the air, as both dinosaur and Chosen contemplated on the revelation.

"Well," the dinosaur said. "I guess...we dinosaurs died out a lot...later than expected?"

"That aside," Mako said, shrugging but shivering. "But...why help us?"

The dinosaur growled.

"I did not want to," it hissed. "Since you all are Chosen and all, but you all look quite tired. Plus, that golden girl has a...kind of charisma that made me feel like a mother protecting her baby and all."

The girls looked at Miho.

"And you're a girl, right?" Miho asked.

The others blinked.

"Yes," she grunted. "But Tyrannosaurus rex sounds a little too...long for me to remember."

"Why not call you Tyra?" Miho suggested.

"Tyra?" Saori gasped, giggling a little. "That sounds lame! Just a shortened version of ' _Tyrannosaurus_ '!"

"Tyra..." the dinosaur grunted, a smile visibly forming on its colossal jaw. "I like it."

Saori and the others gawked, while Miho smiled and stretched herself.

"You OK there?" Tyra asked. "Last time I saw you, you were so fragile and human. Now, you are strong and Chosen."

"Yeah," Miho admitted. "But we intend to return back to normal, once this apocalypse is over."

"Normal..." Tyra growled. "What's even normal, that the Orb is around, that a dinosaur like I is alive, and California is in a strange crisis right now?"

The others all looked up. The Orb was still firing its beam, with the carrier doing the same.

"What are they really doing?" Yukari blurted out. "They seem to be trying to kill each other!"

"I observed them for a while," Tyra admitted. "From what my small brain can tell, there is that Orb, which is the source of everything here-the undead, the Chosen, and even the mutant animals you see now-fighting to maintain control. Then, there is that...thing in the sea."

The dinosaur and the team looked. In the sea, they barely saw a ship, larger than anything they had ever seen, firing a blue beam of powerful energy.

"I wonder what that...thing is?" Tyra wondered audibly.

Suddenly, something bleeped from inside of Miho's bag.

"The tablet!" Miho suddenly gasped, taking it out.

"Oh yeah!" the others uttered, realizing that they forgot about the strange tablet.

Miho turned it on, waiting a little impatiently for the screen to appear.

"Hello again, Miho."

* * *

"Miho," Shiho's face and voice resonated from out of the screen.

"Oba-Shiho," Miho uttered in a low voice.

The two were silent for a while, but only for a few seconds before Shiho finally spoke.

"You..." Shiho's serious face suddenly broke, staring at Miho. Miho realized that her mother already could tell, and shrugged and smiled in response.

"I am Chosen, mother," Miho admitted.

"Yes, you are," Shiho said, her face strangely out-of-place. Even Miho was surprised at her mother's suddenly... _motherly_ expression.

Suddenly, she remembered.

"Shiho!" Miho blurted out.

"Yes?"

"Are you..." Miho began. "Still trapped onboard?"

Shiho sighed.

"I am," she admitted. "They don't call it...'imprisoned,' but I feel like a prisoner here. The other members of the JSF and MEXT are all here now. We heard that there is a new development going on..."

Shiho's face visibly sweated, and the others waited.

"Um," Miho began. "What do you-"

"Is she here?" a voice suddenly voiced, and Shiho put down the tablet, so that the screen was black.

"I am having a private conversation," Shiho said in a stern, ominous voice. "Leave."

The source of the voice audibly gulped, and left and closed the door behind.

"My apology about that," said Shiho, in a lower voice this time as she lifted up the tablet. "A soldier came in. It appears...that they're searching for you all."

The girls were silent. Shiho's sharp eyes then noticed all others, and she nodded grimly.

"I see," she said. "You all are now Chosen. We can still communicate, but from now on, you must NEVER contact me, because...you know what will happen. Only I will contact you, and you must wait for me."

The girls all nodded, as Miho sniffed a little.

It was so close. Miho felt that she was...distant again from her own mother.

She suddenly blinked, noticing her mother's face paling a little.

"Oh," Miho blurted out, giggling a little. "Tyra, this is my mother, Shiho."

Tyra craned her neck, as the others were watching the tablet. She got curious, and was trying to look. However, Yukari's mass of fluffy hair got in the way, angering her in the process. On impulse, she carefully reached out her right arm, using its tiny claws to grab Yukari and throw her out of the way. Yukari was so focused that she did not realize that something sharp had caught her hair, and flung her almost like a doll.

"Uf!" she grunted, shaking her head with her hands. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Your hair is too fluffy," Tyra grunted. "So, this is your mother?"

Shiho gawked, her normally serious eyes open wide in shock.

"Shiho," Miho said, giggling nervously. "This is my..."

She trailed off, wondering how to introduce a _dinosaur_ to someone who had NEVER seen one alive. Plus, Miho knew that her mother would be taught that all dinosaurs died out at least 65 million years ago, not to mention that the dinosaur could _talk_.

"Don't worry," Tyra grunted. "I know that humans believe that all dinosaurs died out millions of years ago."

Shiho stared, gawking at the animal. The other girls also sweated and giggled nervously; they never thought of how to introduce Tyra to someone like Shiho.

"Who or what...is this?" Shiho finally stammered.

"I am Tyra," the animal grunted. "You humans call me... _Tyrannosaurus rex_."

Shiho continued to gawk. Miho giggled, finding her mother's expression irresistibly...cute.

"Your face is cute," Tyra remarked.

Shiho blinked, then blushed a bright red color.

"Nishizumi Miho!" Shiho growled sternly. "Did you tell this... _dinosaur_?!"

"It was my choice," Tyra grunted. "And Shiho, you know Regina, right?"

Everybody around the dinosaur blinked.

"Regina?" everybody asked.

"Regina?" Miho asked at Tyra. "Who's Regina?"

"Ah," Tyra grunted, lifting her head up to stare in the distance. The Orb was getting brighter and brighter, yet its interior was...darkening with each passing minute.

"I believe I have told you something a little too...premature," Tyra grunted. "But yes, all I can say is this: Go and defeat the Orb. I alone cannot, but will help you."

She then strolled away, grunting as a mutant boar squealed nearby. Tyra casually caught the monster, crushed it in her jaws before spitting it. She then walked away, roaring in the distance.

"Miho!" she roared. "I will come, when you need help! For now, you are not ready yet. But let me tell you; find the Regina, and then I will tell you more of what I know."

"Ready for what?" Yukari asked the obvious question.

Tyra's sudden appearance, her strange words, and her suddenly walking away all left the girls bewildered.

"Regina..." Miho mumbled. She turned to face her mother.

"Shiho," she said. "Do you know someone named...Regina?"

Shiho blinked, then silently shook her head.

"All I know," she whispered. "Is that the name 'Regina' is Latin for 'queen.' But I have no recollection of meeting any royal member in Japan."

"Then," Yukari said what everyone else was thinking. "Who's Regina?"

"No matter," Shiho said, but trailed off.

Everybody was feeling very confused, so much so that nobody realized that time seemed to fly by...

* * *

 **Southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **7:45 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"OK," Mako was the first to break the silence. "I am confused."

The girls took a while to process what had transpired. Everything-the Orb, the strange battle of beams, the dying zombies, the mutant animals, and now...a dinosaur that talked seeming nonsense.

It was all...beyond comprehension.

"Miho..." Shiho barely gave a voice. "What...just happened?"

"Let's just...say," Miho cleared her throat. "That this Orb is doing some crazy things."

"Ah!" Shiho uttered, her face returning back to its usual stern appearance. Miho silently sighed in relief; seeing her mother looking visibly shocked disturbed her.

"Girls," Shiho said, leaning closer to the screen. In response, all five girls craned in to look.

"You all need to listen," she whispered. "The US military has some kind of a secret weapon. I managed to overhear the conversations around here; they call it the Nephilim-class carrier."

"Ooh," Yukari uttered. "That sounds cool."

"It is," Shiho bluntly said, taking Yukari off-guard. "Named after a mythical half-human, half-angel of sort from the Bible, the Nephilim-class carrier is actually the fusion of two existing carriers. If you saw it, it looks like as if somebody had connected two Ford-class carriers together."

"How does that appear?" Hana interjected. "I cannot imagine."

"Imagine an anatomical picture of the human lungs," Shiho said.

"Ah!" Hana replied, nodding her head.

"The 'lungs' are the former carriers," Shiho continued. "But somehow, the military used...something to fuse them together. Now the carrier has one tower-like bridge in the middle, connecting the two like a trachea. The 'trachea' is the main bridge body, and in front of it..."

Shiho stared very closely at the screen, unnerving Saori and Mako.

"...is some kind of am empty barrel-like body," Shiho whispered. "It looks like a cannon to fire some kind of a blue laser."

Everybody gasped.

"So the battle..." Saori trailed off, as Shiho nodded.

"Yes," Shiho said. "The Nephilim-class carrier has appeared, but the US military is desperate to try and win the battle. If they keep the battle going, then the news reporters will start taking notice, and the whole world will know about the secret carrier. If they lose it, well, goodbye to California."

Miho looked up. The battle was raging on, as the two hand-like projections grappled against each other, trying to overwhelm each other like arms in a wrestling match. The Orb was getting more unstable by the minute, twisting untold numbers of animals all around. Even the waters below shook, trembling underneath the Orb's mysterious energy.

"My dear Chosen," Tyra grunted, reappearing back.

"Huh?" Miho gasped, shocked by the dinosaur's appearance. The others reacted with a start, too. Shiho cleared her throat, in order to maintain her composure.

"We have to go now," she hissed. "The Orb is going mad. It's killing others of my kind, including yours."

Miho blinked, then nodded in grim realization.

"Shiho," Miho said. "We have to go. Pray for us, wish us the best."

"I..." Shiho began, but sniffed. A single tear fell from her right eye visibly. Miho dropped her jaw.

"Have you...seen Maho?" she asked.

Miho opened her jaw, but could not bear to tell her...that Maho was somehow _controlled_ by someone else.

"I understand," Shiho said, tears flooding out of both of her eyes. "If you find her, bring her back. If not..."

She wiped away her tears, and Miho stared at her mother. For the first time ever in a while, Miho saw her mother's...kinder face, as Shiho smiled on.

It was the first genuine smile that Miho had ever seen since entering high school.

"Do not die on me," was all Shiho finally said, before turning the screen off. Miho stared at the black, blank screen.

"Oh wow," Mako remarked. "That was quite...unexpected."

However, another ball of energy landed nearby, snapping Miho back into reality. She got up and summoned her sword. She held the tablet with her left hand, holding it to her heart before putting it carefully back into her bag.

"Girls," Miho said. "Leave all of your belongings on that cliff."

Without a second thought, all of them left the bags on top of a high cliff, checking to make sure that they were all safely located. Once done, they wielded their weapons, getting ready for another battle.

"Ready?"

They all nodded, and all of them charged down the cliff towards the shores of the Bay, raising their weapons against the monsters below and around them.

* * *

 **At the southern entrance of the Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **8:00 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"Here we are."

Miho and her friends all stared at the entrance. The towering, gate-like projections of the Golden Gate Bridge loomed before them. Behind them, fetid pools of sickly liquid oozed out, then disappeared into various clouds of golden, vermilion-red, azure-blue, silver-white, and bluish-black dust.

A few particles of light magenta colors also floated with the clouds.

Miho breathed, then stared at the road ahead.

Numerous cars dotted the road, marring what was was once a busy, even lively, road. Miho and her friends stared, as the remaining zombies started to melt, as if dying en masse.

"Indeed," Mako noted. "They are."

"One enemy down," Yukari remarked. "New ones to go."

All others nodded, as they sighted more...mutant beasts. Former stray dogs, cats, even rats and pigs, all turned into monstrosities that barely resembled their former selves. Squads of soldiers fired, as they fought against them.

"Augh!" one of them roared, as three of the canine monsters already were shredding him into pieces.

Miho sighed.

"There are those who learn and live," Hana contemplated, as she and others looked on.

One of the soldiers, in a moment of desperation, took out a pistol and put its barrel to his head.

 _Boom!_

"And those who despair and die," Miho finished her sentence. "Girls, we are going to choose to learn and live; let us go and end this..."

She raised out her right hand, which glowed a golden hue. Saori put her hand on Miho's hand, which glowed a faint vermilion tinge. Hana's was slightly azure, while Yukari's was shining a little with silver-white. Finally, Mako slowly but deliberately put her hand together with her friends' in a hand stack, her hand shining a blackish tinge, as if her hand had some metal covering it.

"We are all in this," Miho said, as she sighted a few of the monsters glaring at them. "We will do what we can; first, we cross this bridge, while we check the battle above us. Then, we enter the city of San Francisco, the northern part. Then, we watch from there, and see what to do."

They all nodded, and all of them were ready.

"Panzer vor!" Miho made the call, as five girls charged up through the bridge.

A horde of mutant beasts roared at Miho, as she caught their attention the most. Her huge pillar of light, now rising higher than ever, resembled a pillar of fire, brightening much of the Bridge. Mutant animals, attracted by the light, turned their attention and charged en masse towards Miho.

* * *

"What?" one of the soldiers gasped, staring at the pillar of light. "The Chosen Ones!"

"Don't stop there!" a large, hulking man roared, kicking the younger guy. "Shoot down the mutants, both Chosen and monster alike!"

"Wait!" another soldier uttered. "They're helping us-"

"F**** you!" the same brawny man roared, shooting the soldier dead with his bullets. "Soldiers, keep firing!"

Gritting their teeth, the other soldiers reluctantly obeyed, as they shot down the seemingly endless streams of mutant animals, which were now focused on attacking the Chosen Ones at the southern side of the bridge. The pillar of light grew taller and taller, until it appeared to be as tall as the Bridge's towers themselves.

Without making a single sound, Miho nodded and slammed down her pillar. The pillar turned into a huge wave of light, devastating everything in its path. On the ground, the pillar turned into a golden fissure, vaporizing the mutant animals in its path with ease. Those on the fringes winced, as some of their limbs got obliterated, forcing them to limp away in agony. The soldiers merely shot down the surviving animals, and a few of the soldiers readied their sniper rifles, aiming at the girls...

* * *

"Stay away from the soldiers!" Miho called out. "Some of them are trying to snipe us!"

"Can't we shoot at them from a distance?" Mako groaned, raising her shield in defense.

Bullets suddenly flew past the girls, and a few managed to strike Yukari and Miho. However, due to their Chosen status, the girls shrugged off the bullets, even plucking them out like spines from a porcupine.

"Ouch!" Yukari groaned, throwing away the round ball away. "Man, that shot would have killed me in one go, but now it just hurts."

"What are we, armored?" Saori asked, aghast. She frantically checked her skin, sighing in relief that her skin was as soft as ever.

"Maybe we have an invisible layer of armor," Hana pondered, as she blocked a volley of bullets with her naginata. "I mean-oh!"

She suddenly winced in pain. One of the bullets, a uniquely red-tinged one, struck Hana in the right leg. Unlike other bullets, this one actually incapacitated her, causing her to hold her leg and fall down.

"Hana-chan!" Miho cried out, rushing to her to check upon her. All of the girls then hid behind various vehicles, while Mako yawned behind the protection of her shield, although her face betrayed her concern.

"Ouch," Hana groaned, checking her skin. Miho carefully plucked out the bullet, and Hana's would rapidly healed, while Mako dashed to her side, blocking another bullet.

"Hmm," Miho noted, checking the bullet. "Girls, watch the bullets carefully. The ones with the red tinge are dangerous. Also, check for any strangely colored bullets; they could be dangerous as well."

The others nodded, as Yukari and Saori both rushed out of hiding, getting behind cars after cars as the volley of bullets continued to rage on.

* * *

"Fire ***** it!" the commander roared, as he growled at the Chosen girls.

Ten soldiers armed to the teeth fired a variety of firearms; while some of them looked modern, others looked unusual.

"Chris!" the commander roared at the only sniper in the team. "Save your ammo! Shoot only when you need to!"

Chris panted, as wiped away his mass of dirty blond hair, his shiny blue eyes burning in the sunlight. He held out his rifle, a secret type of Mile Marker rifle, which managed to hit one of the girls. However, that shot made him almost panic; although he had a clear shot, the girl whom he hit looked a little too...good-natured. In a split second, instead of getting a headshot, he deliberately missed, hitting her leg.

"Chris!" the commander barked orders. "Ready your Angel Marker, and make sure you shoot them in the heads!"

"R-roger that," he stammered, aiming his rifle. Through the telescopic lens, he saw the tall, elegant girl with flowing black hair wincing in pain, as the...brown-haired girl was tending to her. The way she was helping her friend...reminded him of how his own mother took care of him when he was younger.

"The Angel Marker," he said to himself, trying to distract his mind from the scene of the girls tending to their wounded. "Is an advanced type of rifle based on the Mile Marker, a smart rifle that uses a computer system to increase accuracy in shooting; now, I am using it to...shoot the Chosen Ones, whose only crime is being Chosen."

He shook, struggling to maintain control. Sensing the shaking, the rifle's computer system blared warnings inside of his goggles, which were connected to his rifle.

"WARNING," the words appeared on his screen. "YOU ARE SHAKING BADLY. PLEASE BE CALM, AND FOCUS FIRE."

"Focus fire my butt," he mumbled, as he watched the girls. The black-haired girl quickly got back to her feet, as two of the Chosen girls dashed in and out of the cars, hiding behind them as his comrades fired upon them.

"I give you full permission," his commander roared. "To use the anti-Chosen rifles. Now go!"

All ten of them took out their special rifles, but half of them continued to use their normal ones, in order to distract the Chosen Ones. Chris decided to re-focus, and saw the girls.

"Five girls," he mumbled. "The one I shot was black-haired with a bluish...tone in her hair? And there is a red-headed one and a fluffy-haired one with...weird white stripes on her hair? Hmm, am I seeing things? And there is a girl behind her black shield...and the leader."

He gulped, instantly recognizing her.

"That Michelle-girl," he mumbled. "From that base back in Los Santos. Man, she is very different now. I remember when they reported us from there, we were told to watch for them..."

He aimed for her head, although she noticed him. The two stared at each other, pondering the next move.

Suddenly, he fired, and his shot zoomed past Miho's head, and struck a mutant dog in the forehead. It fell down, instantly dead. Miho turned around, then turned back to give him a nod.

He smiled.

"Chris!" his commander screamed. "Two of them are exposed; shoot them!"

He aimed, but hesitated.

"Shoot!"

He grunted, and fired.

Another shot, this time at a mutant cat that was prowling from behind a car. It was about to strike Yukari, but he shot it before it could react.

"What are you waiting for?" his commander barked, angrier than ever. "Shoo-wah!"

A pack of mutant dogs suddenly appeared from behind the team. Apparently, the team thought that they had neutralized that whole area, unaware that a pack of them was still alive and hiding. Once their backs were exposed, the monsters took the advantage, and ambushed them.

Panic spread out, as the soldiers tried to shoot at the beasts. Chris, however, immediately got up from his position, took up his rifle, and ran towards the girls.

"Chris!" his commander roared. "What are you-ah!"

A dog bit him in the neck, wrangling him and bringing him down. A lone dog then saw Chris, and charged after him.

 _Boom!_

A ball of golden energy struck the beast, instantly vaporizing it. Chris stopped, and smiled as the five girls all got out of their hiding.

"Thanks for the backup," Chris said.

"You defect already?!" Saori gasped, as she struck down a dog in the neck, slicing it into pieces.

"Hey," Chris admitted, setting up his sniper rifle. "At least I did not shoot you in the heads."

Saori shivered, but the others concentrated on taking down the horde of monsters. In a few minutes, the girls made short work of the monsters, and now...all was still.

Panting, the girls then checked their weapons, and then the sniper.

"I am...Special Private Chris," Chris introduced himself, shaking hands with the girls. "Sorry about that from moments ago. I did not really like my team, and I was not sure about you Chosen Ones being bad and all...and now, I can tell that you are indeed heroes.

Miho and Saori both blushed, while Yukari jumped up and down. Mako and Hana both watched him, puzzlement on their faces.

"Well," Chris said, taking up his belongings. "Girls, why are you all crossing this bridge? There is a whole base of hostile troopers over there in the north."

"We're trying to find a way to defeat the Orb," said Miho. "From our map, we believe that there is a point in the northern part of San Francisco, where we could at least get close enough to...deal with it."

He nodded grimly.

"I see," he mumbled. "Well then, let's go."

* * *

 **At the southern entrance of the Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **8:30 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"Thanks for your help," Chris said, as they all managed to cross the bridge, albeit with some difficulty.

The girls continued to strike down monsters after monsters, mostly fighting melee but firing some blasts of energy here and there. Mako, however, helped to carry the rifle, allowing Chris to shoot and provide support fire, without having to set up the whole firearm.

"Aren't you feeling heavy?" Chris asked the girl, blinking as he was still unnerved by the girls' unusual size. Mako, however, appeared the most normal, a little shorter than he was.

"Nah," she curtly replied, as Chris continued to shoot, striking three dogs in the head dead-on. "It's just that...I see fewer zombies and more mutant...monsters."

Chris nodded grimly.

"Yes," he admitted. "My team and I were among the few out of the base, just to clean up the areas. Then, things changed so fast."

Mako nodded grimly.

"Yeah," Chris began. "I need to tell your leader about this, once she-wow!"

Miho instantly appeared to his left, carrying her sword, which whirled and buzzed.

"You know what's going on?" she asked. "The zombies and the monsters?"

"Ah," he sighed. "We've been getting used to containing the zombies at our bases. Just as we were ready, the Orb suddenly...changed. It then caused the zombies to weaken, and even melt into strange pools. Now, the animals are starting to go berserk, and many have turned...into those."

Another pack of dogs appeared; this time, their jaws opened 90 degrees wide, more like that of a hippo than that of a dog. Then, the dogs stood on their hind lets, and their paws developed massive claws like that of tigers. The girls shivered, as Chris sweated, focusing his fire.

 _Boom!_

A shot struck the largest of the dogs, causing them to rage but also become disoriented.

"Now!" he barked orders, and the girls all charged in, striking down dogs here and there.

"So many poor dogs!" Saori groaned, striking down a former pitbull. "That Orb thing will pay for what it did!"

Hana said nothing, but after killing a whole pack, she bowed down in respect.

"Hey," Chris grunted, shooting a dog in the head. "You're not alone."

"What's next?" Yukari asked, punching a few dogs away. "We're now out of the bridge and..."

Yukari stopped, as she and others sighted a group of combat jeeps coming their way.

"Uh oh," Saori gasped.

"We better go," Miho began.

"Wait!" Chris called out.

The others turned to look at him.

"Pretend that you all were attacking me," Chris said. "Here, take my rifle. You will need it; you already know how to use it, right?"

"Right," said Hana, who already watched him load and maintain the rifle.

"Good," he said, sitting down. "Can you...injure me a little? That way, they won't suspect that I was helping you."

"Umm..." the girls hesitated.

Miho then approached him, and stopped her blade. She then light tapped on him multiple times. Although weak, they were strong enough to leave bruises and cuts on his skin.

"Good," he winced. "Man, that was some injuries. OK, go! Thank you for your help!"

"And thank you!" they all cried out, jumping away. Miho, however, stayed behind.

"You sure about this?" she asked.

He nodded.

"You saved my life," he said. "And I already told you where to go to find the best location possible to...hopefully stop the Orb. Now, go before you get into trouble!"

She nodded, saluting him before leaping away, just as the jeeps appeared.

"Soldier!" one of the commanders roared, coming out. "You OK?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," he groaned, pretending to be in great pain. "I guess...it was not easy to defeat the Chosen Ones or the mutant beasts either."

"Take him away for treatment!" the commander barked orders. "Man, Private Chris, sorry that you had to go through that! My friend Custer is not one of the nicest generals, but I am glad you're fine!"

"No worries," he groaned, as the men brought him on a stretcher. "I am glad to be alive, and...I think this war will end soon."

"Huh?" the commander asked.

"Commander Raynor," he said, smiling. "The girls will defeat the Orb."

He blinked, confused as his friend was taken away.

"The girls..." he pondered. "The Chosen Ones? No way..."

* * *

 **Five miles away from the northern entrance of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **8:45 AM; July 19, 20XX**

* * *

"There it is," Miho said.

The Orb was finally within reach, its sickly purple light glowing on top of the surging waters below. The reflection on the clear bay was cloudy, as if the Orb was otherworldly. It continued to fire its strange beam against the carrier's own beam, wrestling against each other.

The girls stared at it. Chris had already told them a point, where they were only a few miles away from the Orb. They looked on...

The waters below the Orb were churning very violently, turning from clear blue to blood-red and even sickly purple like the Orb. Birds flew wildly around, falling down as if shot in mid-air. Clouds of a sickly rosy-pink color covered the sky around the Orb and almost the whole Bay; Miho and Mako both barely noticed a single pillar of light from what little crack the Sun could go through.

"What are we going to do?" Hana asked the obvious.

All five of them stood still, watching the whole chaos.

Buildings burned and exploded...

Zombies melted and disappeared...

Mutant animals roared and stampeded around...

Humans struggled to survive...

Then, there were the Chosen Ones.

"What are we going to do?" Miho asked rhetorically. "You know, I am thinking..."

She then knelt down with her right knee, with her left arm in a thinking pose.

"What to do..."

"Miho," Mako said nonchalantly. "We have a zombie that is trying to get us."

Miho and the others looked around. A giant, armored zombie about the size of a two-story house limped towards them, trying to deal a last-minute blow. It was rapidly melting away.

"Get ready," Miho began. "Let's..."

She gawked, staring at the zombie. Something gave out from it, as if dropping like garbage. However, Miho dropped both her jaw, and her weapon. It clanked on the ground, as it stopped roaring.

She was not the only one to notice.

"Is that..." Saori stammered.

"No way..." Hana gasped, covering her mouth.

Yukari stared, then hurriedly checked and dropped the armored skirts. They clanked on the ground.

"OK," Mako broke the silence. "We have gone through crazy things in life. We have the Parade, then the zombies, then the crazy conspiracies and whatnot. I don't know about you, but I feel that this is..."

She stopped, as Miho nodded in affirmation.

The zombie moaned, then collapsed, as its remains dissipated from something...inside of it.

As the pool slowly vaporized into a cloud of brownish dust, the girls saw it.

It was a familiar, reddish-brown silhouette an armored vehicle.

The tracks.

The body.

Even the turret and the cannon.

Except for the missing skirts, which Yukari dropped, it was as good as new.

"Welcome back," Miho said, smiling as if talking to a long-lost friend. She and her friends felt tears running down their faces.

"It's back," Miho said again. "Our tank."

* * *

 **Well, I hope that this was not too rushed.**

 **But yeah, the finale is coming, and the chapter 30 (except for the epilogue) is my LAST chapter!**

 **Hooray!**

 **Thank you so much for your support, and I am still willing to revise and edit this chapter further.**

 **Get ready for the finale, and let's go!**


	30. Chapter 30: Final Ends

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker. It has been an adventure, ever since I started this story. Sure, just like the story, my own life was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. But through it all, many of you readers have helped me through. Thank you so much.**

 **I give a shoutout to the following people:**

 **-aGuestfromGreece45 for continually encouraging me to keep going.**

 **-Phantomwa1ker for his crucial advices at the beginning of the story.**

 **-der Jagdexperte for his contribution to many parts of the story, especially the German phrases.**

 **-Inceptor57 for initiating some of the core ideas of this story, such as the zombie apocalypse.**

 **-Anime Psychologist, for crucial words of advice about the psychological nature of my characters.**

 **-NETGamer99, DarthFii, and a total of 24 favorite and 24 follow members for all of their support!**

* * *

 **So then, let's end this.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Chapter 30: Final Ends**

 **Five miles away from the Golden Gate Bridge, on top of a cliff hanging**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **9:00 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"Welcome back," was all Miho said, as she and others caressed their long-lost artifact. No, more than an artifact, but a part of who they were.

Despite its smashed state, it was still recognizable.

The Panzer IV Ausf. H., or what remained of it, appeared almost like its usual self, except broken into bits. However, Miho and her friends lifted up their hands, and the tank started to rebuild itself.

"At least there is one great thing about magic," Mako mumbled, albeit with a higher voice. "What technology takes days to fix, magic can do in a few minutes."

However, midway through the reconstruction, Miho gasped.

"Wait!" she said out loud. "We're now taller! Can we even fit in?"

The girls stopped their magic, and silence filled the air.

"Oh..." was all Mako said. "Even I forgot that."

The girls pondered in silence, as the magical ribbon-like waves of energy weaved in and out of the tank's body, slowly fixing it.

"Let's do what we can," Miho said, as she went around the tank, inspecting it more closely. "Hmm, we need more materials, like steel plates, if we want to make this bigger..."

They all stared at all.

"...or maybe just see how far," Saori interjected, playing with her fingers. "Our magic can...go? Like you said, 'we find a way' or something."

The others looked at her, then at Miho, who smiled.

She giggled.

"Alright," Miho said, raising her weapon at the pieces of their tank. "How should we design it, if we can?"

"You know," Mako said nonchalantly. "Here we are, at the center of everything crazy and illogical, now we are Chosen, fighting against the supernatural stuff, the gods being crazy at all, and now we are using our powers..."

"...to defeat the Orb with a tank," Miho finished, as her weapon radiated its golden hue. "OK, we know that we can use our weapons to somehow construct and fix...so let's see if we can modify our tank."

The girls nodded, and all five raised their weapons again. More streams of energy flowed out, cascading through the tank's remains. The repairing process quickened.

"So how should it look like?" Yukari asked. "I want it to look like the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte!"

"Ratte?" the other girls asked, except Miho, who already knew what Yukari was talking about.

She giggled nervously, feeling a sweat drop.

"No," she curtly replied and shook her head, causing Yukari to deflate. "That's way too big and slow."

"What's Ratte?" asked Saori.

"It's a COOL design of a potential tank!" Yukari declared, beaming with joy. "If built, it was supposed to be 1,000 tonnes, bigger and stronger than the Maus tank!"

The others stared at her in disbelief.

"Nope-nope," Mako said, shaking her head. "I agree with Miho. That's too big, and too slow."

"And the Maus was more of a war turtle to begin with," Hana mused. "It was indeed powerful, but its slow speed and maneuverability were its key weaknesses."

"What about Panzer VII Löwe?" Yukari asked again, but Miho shook her head.

"No-no," Miho declared. "Still too big, and do you even know the full blueprint of it?"

"Eh..." Yukari hesitated, scratching her mass of curly hair. "Oh...guess I just fell for it. Hehe."

"Hehe," Miho giggled. "I know that you want to get into tanks again, but we're not here to do a sport. We're in a battle. We fight with what we have."

"And that includes reconstructing our tank, right?" suggested Saori, as she and others eyed the tank being rebuilt from the base up.

Miho nodded.

"Let's just..." Miho advised. "Watch and see."

Everybody unanimously agreed. Since they were still trying to understand their magical powers, they decided to let their powers do the work.

"Wonder what will happen?" Saori asked the obvious, as they all raised their weapons, letting its power charge into the remnants of their tank.

The tank's parts slowly floated around, then came together. The armored skirts that Yukari carried also drifted towards the parts, and they all slowly fused together.

"We're missing a few key parts," Miho mused, even before the tank was slowly regaining its original form. "Left track, the cannon, and a few doors are missing."

Suddenly, a few tank parts appeared from a distance, which seemed to move towards the forming tank like iron parts towards a magnet.

"Oh!" Yukari gasped. "Those parts are from the M1 Abrams tanks!"

"Hmm," Miho said with a thought, as the tank was slowly reforming still. "It appears that...the tank's repair rate is slowing down."

The girls stared..and stared...and stared.

"OK..." Miho noted, as the tank appeared to slow down. Suddenly, it roared and it quickly repaired itself. In a few seconds, the magical streams all disappeared, and the girls finally witnessed their newly renovated vehicle.

"Our tank now looks..." Miho was about to say, but she and everybody else stared and gasped at it.

"Wow..."

"That was..."

"Unexpected."

"But cool!"

"Not that I care, but our tank looks better than the usual one."

* * *

Miho, Saori, Hana, Yukari, and Mako all remarked respectively on the completed tank. It still bore a vague resemblance to their original tank, except that...

"It's a little pinker than usual," Miho remarked. "Sort of like...magenta-brown with golden edges. But the paint is a little more metallic."

"The tracks look weird," Saori remarked, staring at their tank wheels.

"And it is much bigger than our original tank," Hana said, staring at the long cannon, which looked a little rectangular. "So long..."

Saori and Miho both stared at her, wondering what she was even _thinking_.

"At least more leg room," Mako said.

Yukari, however, was nuts.

"OOOOHHHHH BOOOYYYY!" she yelped like a fanatic, jumping up and down while rubbing her left cheek on the tank. "Panzer IV Ausf H. is now an advanced version of itself, with an awesome cannon that looks like that from a Tiger or even a Maus! And the guns are amazing, the type found on modern Abrams tanks and sort and..."

She trailed off, as her friends gawked at her antics.

"Oh..." Yukari gasped, sweating a lot. "I...I am sorry."

She knelt down, shaking in apology.

"That's alright," Miho said, smiling. Her face, however, lost its smile when she glimpsed the Orb.

The Orb, however, was growing more purple by the minute, and it now was...dark purple, so dark it looked almost black. Its pulsing glow beat like an ominous earthquake, sending faint but obvious novas of sickly purple energy that started to disrupt the very matter itself. Waters below turned harsher and harsher, while the soil nearby started to dry out. Even the very air felt...nauseous.

Saori and Hana both coughed.

"Ah!" Hana moaned. "The air...is worse than Tokyo!"

"We better get going," Miho said. "Girls, let's go!"

Nodding to each other, the girls hopped unto their tank.

* * *

"Oh boy!" Saori squealed with delight, jumping into an opened door on the side. "Finally, our tank!"

"It has more space than I remember," Hana remarked, getting into her gunner's seat.

"Oh yeah!" Yukari screamed with sheer joy, as she played with her control in her usual seat. "Look at this! We have new buttons and icons! Now, I can not only load, but also fire my own guns and..."

"Panzer halt," Miho said calmly, unfazed by Yukari's outburst.

"Oops!" Yukari gasped, sweating. "I am sorry, again!"

"It sure feels different," Mako remarked, eyeing her controls. "I have the levers, but there are all these...control panels."

"It feels like we're in a starship," Saori said.

"Too many video games?" Mako snickered, causing her to redden with embarrassment.

"Mako!" she roared, resisting the urge to kick her, although her legs were twitching. "Just focus on driving, please!"

Mako smirked, and rapidly studied the panels all around her. Without a word, she pushed some buttons and the usual levers, revving up the engine.

The tank coughed and sputtered, then grew silent. The others stared at Mako, who blinked in response.

"Hey..." Saori began. "Did you-"

A huge roar erupted, cutting her off as a strange, electrical sound echoed inside.

Whiiiiirrrrrllllaaaaaalllliiii...

"It sounds like a starship," remarked Saori.

"Too many video games?" asked not Mako, but...Miho.

Saori sighed in defeat.

"Yes," she admitted.

Mako raised an eyebrow at Saori's reaction.

"Hey," she pointed out. "You shout at me when I said the same thing, but not at Miho."

"Miporin is Miporin," Saori answered.

This time, Mako pouted, feeling a little jealous.

"Well," began Mako. "Maybe I should react better-"

 _Whirl-whirl-whirl!_

The tank started to make...strange noises.

 _Wiyo-wiyo-wiyo._

Very strange noises. Noises that fit more in a spacecraft, rather than inside a WWII-era tank.

Then, the tank was quiet.

Suddenly...

 _Whirl-whirl-wiyo-wiyo-wiyo..._

The tank started to make a spinning noise, as if a turbine was turning. Then-

 _WAAAAUUUUUGGHHHHHH!_

"Augh!" all five girls yelled, cupping their ears. Picking with her right eye, Miho noticed a "Silence" button and pushed it. The noise subsided, although it was still vaguely audible.

Waauuggghhhh! the noise continued to echo, albeit faintly this time, thanks to the silencer.

"What was that?!" Saori screamed, as Mako squinted and continued to push the lever. The tank finally rolled, its tracks crawling over the terrain. The massive vehicle finally rumbled. The noises apparently attracted a group of mutant animals, but their jaws were futile against the tank's advanced armor.

Crush!

The tank's tracks flattened any mutant animal unfortunate to stand in the way, as the tank marched on towards its target: the Orb.

"What was that again?" Saori cried out, fixing her ears.

"Did a child scream?" asked Hana innocently.

"I have no idea what was that!" Yukari blurted out.

"Do-do you know?" asked Miho to Mako.

"Atoms getting fused together," Mako answered, although her face was pale.

"Huh?" everybody else reacted with a start.

Mako cleared her throat, as she breathed deeply.

"A science facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts of the US," Mako explained. "Known as the MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, has a test plasma fusion reactor. Almost all nuclear reactors today are fission reactors, but the fusion reactor can produce even more energy. Known as the Alcator C-Mod, the test reactor fuses atoms together, which triggers a huge amount of energy."

"And what does that have to do with the freaky noise?!" Saori screamed.

"That's the sound of atoms fusing together," Miho concluded. "Right?"

"You are correct," Mako said. "When atoms are fused together, they make that weird..."

She shivered.

"...that horrific sound that resembles a child screaming murder," Mako managed to say, before shaking violently.

"So we have a nuclear reactor built into this tank?!" Yukari and Saori both asked.

Saori was aghast, while Hana blinked.

"Cool!" Yukari then added.

"But it sounds dangerous," Hana said. "To have a nuclear reactor inside a tank, and we did not even add one in the first place."

"It's magic," Mako blurted. "Magic somehow created a fusion reactor, which is one of the best ways to produce energy. In fact, that's the type of energy that the Sun uses."

Mako's last words stirred something inside Miho. She looked at her right hand, where a pebble-sized orb glowed, whirling with golden and light magenta ribbons of energy all around.

"It really does look like the Sun," Miho suddenly said.

"Come again?" Saori asked.

Miho blinked, and the Orb was gone.

"Sorry," Miho said. "So, girls. Let's get to another spot, where we can better keep a lookout on the Orb and everything around us."

"Roger that!" everybody replied, and the tank moved forwards, its tracks thundering over the asphalt and lawn, as the tank proceeded to another cliff, in order to avoid getting the attention of the Orb.

* * *

 **15 miles east of the northern entrance of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **9:30 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"Stop here," Miho commanded.

The tank stopped, groaning as the reactor inside grew quiet.

Waughh...

It now sounded more like a cute baby crying, rather than a bloodcurdling scream.

Miho gave a small smile, and giggled.

"What's so funny?" Saori asked.

"You know," Miho said. "It's good to enjoy the small things of life."

The others looked at her, but she was standing up. Miho got out of her cupola, with her upper half exposed, just like in her Senshadou matches.

All four of her friends also got out of their own hatch doors. Yukari peeked out of the right side of the tank's turret, while Hana got out from the left. Mako and Saori both raised their heads out of their left and right doors on the tank's main body respectively.

"Look," Miho said.

The girls all stared at the Orb, as it continued to fire its strange beam of energy. Miho squinted her eyes at it, and gasped.

"Uh no..."

"Hmm?" the others noted.

The beam was starting to grow stronger and stronger, while the blue beam of the US carrier was ebbing gradually. In fact, the Orb was pulsing, as if laughing.

"I think the Orb is laughing," Miho noted.

"Eh?" the others asked.

"OK!" Saori cried out. "You're sounding weird! What do you mean by 'the Orb is laughing'? That sounds..."

She trailed off, as the Orb fired off another pulse. This time...

 _Ehehehehehe..._

The noise was subtle, but was as audible as a Chosen ear could hear. Mako shivered.

"Oh boy..." Yukari made a shocked face, trembling a little.

"Umm..." Hana tried to say something, but felt her spine...tingle a little.

"What's going on?" Saori blurted out.

"The Nephilim carrier is losing!" Miho answered. "I have a bad feeling that something bad will happen if the Orb wins..."

"What's going to happen?" Saori asked. "The Orb then fires its laser all around us, causing mass genocide?"

Suddenly, the carrier's blue beam shrank to half of its size. The Orb, instead of pushing, then shrank its own laser to match, and then fired off the rest of the energy into the urban areas nearby. Huge balls of dark purple energy bombarded the skyline.

"Oh..." everybody gasped.

"Saori-chan," Miho said.

"Y-yes?" she responded, shaking a little.

"You are spot on," Miho replied. Saori giggled a little.

"Th-thanks," she stammered.

"Maybe that knowledge of video games helped you," Mako admitted. "Even I am impressed."

"It's in video games!" Saori blurted out. "I-I mean...if the bad guy loses, then he or she concentrates on destroying the world. No hero? Villain does whatever he or she wants."

Miho nodded, as the blue beam of the carrier regrew in size again, forcing the Orb to refocus. Both beams continued their seeming wrestling match, as their "hands" kept pushing against each other.

"Can we try and weaken the Orb?" Yukari asked. "So that the carrier can win?"

Miho stared at the Orb. It was starting to grow larger and darker by the minute.

"We have little time left," Miho noted.

"Can we fly there?" asked Saori, flapping her fans.

Nothing happened.

"Don't even dare," Mako said. In a rare display of passion, she grabbed Saori tightly.

Saori just rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on," she began. "At least we can-"

Miho shook her head, giving the final word.

"No," she said. "Mako is right. The ocean is too dangerous, and the Orb appears to have...some sort of a shield around it."

The others looked, and Saori pouted.

"Spot on!" she groaned. "What can-"

A group of airplanes suddenly swooped by, as they fired a volley of missiles at the Orb. In response, the Orb fired a large number of bolts of energy, which destroyed all of the missiles, except for one.

It penetrated through the barrier, but missed the Orb as it fell into the bay below.

Miho blinked, then got an idea.

"Got it!" she exclaimed.

The others looked at her.

"Did you see the missiles?" Miho asked.

The others nodded.

"One of them almost hit," Hana noted.

"And the shield!" Saori yelled, clapping her hands. "It appears that the shield...cannot block missiles!"

"But say," Mako said, raising her hand. "I believe that if done right, we can hit it. If not, the Orb can..."

"...make a stronger shield," Miho completed her sentence, nodding grimly. "We may have just one shot."

"Just like in our matches!" Yukari declared. "We defeated Maho with a rear shot. Then, in the annihilation match with Selection, we agreed on a risky shot, in which Maho fired a blank from behind, giving us a speed boost!"

"All those," Miho said with a serious expression. "Were just sports matches. Girls, this is no sport; it's a life-and-death situation. If we strike, we win. If we lose..."

Everybody paled a little.

"It's worse than losing Oarai," Yukari whispered, to which everybody else nodded in agreement.

"Mako-chan," Miho said. "Position our tank diagonally. That way, in case if the Orb attacks us, we are better protected from its blasts."

Mako nodded silently, as she carefully positioned the tank. Now, it was sitting with its right track facing the Orb.

"Hana-chan," Miho uttered. "Aim the cannon, but don't fire anything."

"On it," she replied. The cannon, which appeared somewhat cylindrical, except with some jagged edges on it (so that it looked like somebody fit a cylinder through a rectangular prism), pointed up towards the center of the Orb. The Orb continued to...laugh.

 _Ehehehehehe..._

The low but audible sound caused all five girls to shiver.

"OK," Hana said, sweating a little. "The cannon is ready."

Miho then nodded, and looked up at the Orb from her cupola. The Orb continued to grow larger and darker, its aura pulsing with horrific streams of sickly purple energy. Miho felt a little nauseous.

"Girls," Miho said, clearing her throat. "I admit...can we fire a shell at it?"

The others looked at each other.

"I wonder..." Yukari pondered out loud, taking out a tank shell. Smiling, she caressed it and rubbed it with her left cheek.

"Ah!" she moaned. "The good old feelling of Senshadou..."

The others stared at her.

"Yukari-chan?" Miho asked, feeling a sweat drop.

"Eh?" she began to respond. "What was-wow!"

The shell suddenly glowed a silver-white color, and Yukari blinked.

"Aha," Miho said, eyeing the glow. "Girls, I think we all should...transfer some of our power into that shell."

"And then," Hana gasped, nodding in agreement. "We fire at it."

"Great idea!" Saori cried out. "We fuse our energy into one shell, blast that Orb monster into smithereens, and we're home free!"

"Maybe," Miho said, causing Saori to deflate. "But we have one shot. Are you all with me?"

The others nodded, and they all touched the shell.

"Ready," Miho said. "Set..."

They all sighed, as they felt some of their energy being transferred into the shell. The yellowish-brown shell now glowed five colors, as streams of golden-yellow, vermilion-red, azure-blue, silver-white, and bluish-black energy coursed throughout the exterior, and some of them went inside, as if the shell was permeable.

"Ah!" all girls panted, as they were slowly recovering from the temporary loss of energy.

"OK," Miho said, breathing deeply, as she was the first to recover. "Girls, breathe, in, out, in, out. Yukari, load it."

Breathing in and out and nodding in reply, Yukari carefully loaded the shell into the cannon.

"Uf!" she grunted. "This shell is quite heavy!"

Fortunately, with a little push, and a small lift from Miho, Yukari managed to load it into the cannon's barrel section. The cannon instantly grunted, as the cannon aimed at the Orb.

"Miho-san," Mako said. "My control screens show that the cannon is ready to fire."

"Mine too," Hana replied.

"So the energizing is successful!" Saori said, jumping up and down in her seat. "Finally, we're home!"

Miho said nothing, but went out again to stare at the Orb.

"Hold it," Miho said. "Hana, focus and get ready."

"On it."

"Yukari and Saori," Miho replied. "Hold the tank's walls."

"Huh?"

"Charge the whole tank if you can," Miho said.

Nodding, the duo did as told. The whole interior coursed with silver-white and vermilion-red streams of energy, and they all slowly crept into the cannon.

"Cannon is now steady," Hana said, holding the controls tightly. Her own hands radiated out streams of azure-blue energy, which weaved into the cannon.

"Mako-chan," Miho said. "Steady the whole tank."

"On it."

Mako steadied the tank, adjusting it more. Her own hands radiated out streams of bluish-black energy, coursing down through the levers and into the tank. Like the others, the stream of energy entered the cannon.

Miho sighed.

"God or gods," she blurted out, and the others stared at her.

Miho stayed in her seat, hands on her knees. Breathing in and raising her head to the sky, she then bowed her head down, and clapped her hands together.

"Whoever you are," she continued. "If you can help, please help us. Give us the strength to fire the shot. If you are gods, all of you, please give us everything you all can. If you are God, please give us something you can."

The others waited for her, respecting her prayer.

"I pray," she gasped. "I am not particularly religious, nor is anyone else. But please, give us the strength...God or gods, help us. Amen."

"Amen," the others whispered.

"Girls," Miho said, holding her own control panel. Like other seats in the tank, her own seat had a unique set of control panels, as if they were inside a starship. However, her control panel showed the whole area around the tank, and the cannon's line of fire.

She grabbed the main panel with her hands. Huge waves of golden-yellow and light magenta energy flowed down, and all colors now drained into the cannon. The cannon shook with the energy, then stayed still.

"Ready?" Miho ordered.

Yukari and Saori both silently prayed or wished, holding the tank's walls. Mako breathed in and out, holding the levers tight. Hana sweated, but refused to shiver as she focused with all her might on the telescope.

She saw it, and Miho also saw it through her computer panel.

The Orb.

It appeared so huge, and so dark.

It almost seemed to...glare.

"Focus and fire at my word," Miho said, sweating.

Suddenly, the center of the Orb seemed to redden, and something...seemed to stare down at Hana's own eyes.

Hana suddenly felt her own heart beat faster and faster.

"Miho-san," she gasped. "I think the Orb...is watching us."

"Hold still," Miho said, touching Hana with her left hand. A single stream of bright blue energy flowed down, and wrapped around Hana. Hana sighed in relief, as her heart beat back to normal levels.

"Ready?"

Everybody nodded.

"And..."

Saori shook.

Yukari sweated.

Mako breathed.

Hana focused.

Miho made a single, deliberate nod.

"Ute!"

Hana pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened. No shell fired.

The Orb, as if suspecting nothing, slowly turned its "eye" back to normal, so that the whole Orb was nothing but a single ball of mass energy.

"I think we need to charge up the cannon," Mako suddenly said.

"Huh?" the others asked.

"My panel," she said. "Is saying something about 'Energy Level Low.'"

"The reactor?" Saori asked. "Can you fire it up?"

Mako clicked something.

"Nope," she replied.

"Let me try," Miho said. "I will show you."

The others all turned around.

"What do you mean?" Saori asked, but the others stared, gawking as Miho raised her hands, as if in a praising posture. Between her hands, a single ball of golden energy started to form.

"Miporin?!"

"Mi-Miho-san?!"

"Ni-Nishizumi-dono! Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Miho-san! You're..."

Miho sighed, as the single ball of energy grew larger and larger. Then, she turned to face her back.

"The reactor is behind me," she said. "Right?"

"I guess so," Mako replied. "We heard the reply from behind there."

Nodding, Miho then pushed the ball of energy, as if she was moving a ball underwater. The orb of golden energy slowly floated away, and disappeared into the wall behind. Miho felt it, as the orb slowly drew into the reactor...and merged.

Suddenly, the tank roared, as its reactor revved up with energy.

Instead of a scream, however, the reactor...sang.

 _Call me...I am down..._

 _But in times...high and low..._

 _I know...that you...are always...here._

 _Call upon...the name of...now you know...go._

"Strange song," Saori remarked.

Miho suddenly felt something. Streams of golden-yellow, light magenta, sapphire-blue, ruby-red, and pure-white energy coursed through her hands.

"Get ready!" Miho suddenly gave the call.

Everybody then readied again.

"Ready..."

All five girls held unto anything inside of the tank, as the energy started to spike within.

"Set..."

Saori shook.

Yukari sweated.

Mako breathed.

Hana focused.

Miho made a single, deliberate nod again.

"Ute!"

The cannon roared, and a single blast of pure-white energy traveled out. The shell flew through the air, straight for the Orb, as streams of a variety of colorful energy trailed from behind.

"Yes!" Yukari roared, as it continued to fly through.

Suddenly, the Orb fired a single, small beam of energy, its sickly purple blast slamming into the shell. It exploded in mid-air, halfway between the tank and the Orb, as a huge, blackish cloud formed.

"No..." all except Miho groaned.

Miho, however, smiled.

"Good," she said.

"Huh?!" the others gasped.

"Look."

The others looked back.

Inside of the blackish cloud, five beams of energy burst out. All five-yellow, red, blue, silver-white, and bluish-black-shot out and flew straight for the Orb.

"Game over," Miho said, as the five beams penetrated through the shield, and struck the Orb.

At first, nothing happened. The Orb continued to fire its purple beam at the blue beam on the other side. Then, something beat from within the Orb, and Miho noticed something translucent stream through the purple beam, and entered the blue beam, as it traveled all the way to the carrier.

"Wonder what that is..." Miho wondered.

"Miho!" everybody gasped. "Look!"

Miho looked up, and smiled.

Both beams suddenly shrank, and disappeared. The Orb then sputtered and shook, growing smaller and smaller, as it fell slowly down to the ocean.

"It's over," Miho said.

"Hooray!" Saori screamed. "Finally, we're free!"

"We are done," Hana said, a single tear coming out of her right eye.

"Hurray to the tank shell!" Yukari yelled out, waving her hands around. "Shell is so shocking!"

"Finally we're free," Mako sighed in relief, smiling.

"Now," Miho began. "All we need...Mako, GET THE TANK TO THE SHORE, NOW!"

Hiccuping at the sudden voice, Mako quickly revved up the engine, and drove it down to the shore.

"Miporin?" Saori asked. "What's going on?"

Miho, however, was silent. Her face was pale, and she pointed.

"Look," she whispered.

The others all looked. A small boat was speeding through the waters, almost flying as it went straight for the falling Orb. On the left side of the boat was...

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Yukari roared, scratching her messy hair violently.

"I AM GONNA BURN THEM!" Saori screamed, summoning her fans and getting out of her tank.

"I cannot believe it," Hana said, her voice filled not with calm but with intense rage. "Our work, and now..."

She got out of her hatch and, like Saori, summoned her weapon. Even Mako hissed, summoning her urumi, which was wrapped on her right hand.

"Looks like it's not over," she hissed. "Till it's over."

Miho then stood on top of the turret, and snapped her right hand. She stared intensely at the boat, her chainsaw roaring in her hand.

"You were waiting for this," Miho muttered under her breath. "Weren't you?"

The boat then stopped right below the Orb, which was still meters above it. A single man, who appeared to be a blond, handsome man from Hollywood, stood up, facing the girls in their tank, a disgusting, smug grin on his face.

"Congratulations," he spoke though a special speaker, which blared through two giant loudspeakers. Despite the distance, Miho and her friends could hear him loud and clear, as their tank stopped right at the nearest shore. Miho and her friends all went out, their weapons in hand.

Miho raised her chainsaw, ready to strike.

Saori posed, her fans burning with rage.

Hana spun her naginata, as vines and spikes wrapped around it.

Yukari raised her fists, covered in her giant gauntlets.

Mako leaned on her giant shield, her urumi hissing on her right side.

"You five Chosen Ones," the man blared, still grinning. "Are amazing. You have not only done the impossible, but also have done us PAMC a great favor. Now, we have finally gotten our dear Orb back, and our old lives can definitely be back."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY OLD LIVES BACK!" Saori roared, her flames rising higher and higher from her fans.

"Now-now," he continued to speak, his grin etched on his smug face. "We PAMC needed to get the Orb back, and of all the people in the world, five Japanese girls from the Senshadou realm, a sport that I have no idea about, were able to defeat the Orb. We were the ones who told the Nephilim-class carrier to cease fire, the moment we KNEW that the Orb will lose. And now..."

He raised up his hands, as if mocking at the girls, and laughed. The girls all stayed still.

"You all can't hit me from here!" he yelled, still smiling. "Even with magical blasts, we are safe away from here! For your powers are visible to us! We watched you! We studied you! And now, we know that we are safe!"

Three familiar figures got out, and the girls saw who they were.

"So then," the same man declared. "We are among the main members of the PAMC, or what potentially could be left of it. I am Nicolae, and here are my most faithful members of the PAMC: Agent Singh, Samson, and my dear twin brother Nick."

All five girls gasped, but maintained their posture, ready to attack.

"And to avoid long-range fire..." Nicolae trailed off, nodding at Singh, who then pressed something. A turret suddenly popped out of a cliff hanging, and fired a single shot...at the tank.

Boom!

It snapped the cannon in half.

"So now," Nicolae declared, laughing and smiling at the same time. The girls glared at him.

"We have achieved final victory!" he roared, as the Orb was falling closer and closer to the boat. "And now, I am finally ruling the world!"

The girls gasped, and so did his own crew.

"W-wait!" Nick began. "We agreed that-"

Boom!

"Augh..." Nick gasped, as a single shot to his heart caused him to fall into the waters.

"Singh!" Samson roared. "Get him!"

"No point," Nicolae snickered, as he opened his mouth...and sucked the Orb in.

"What the?!" Samson, Singh, and all five girls gasped in shock.

Nicolae shook, then lowered his head down. After a few tense seconds, he raised his head.

His eyes were now all-purple, with red pupils and no whites.

"Ehehehehehe," he responded.

All five girls gasped, as the laughter was...the same as that they heard from before.

"S-snap out of it!" Samson and Singh both roared. "Master Nicolae, you are not-augh!"

Two giant tentacles of purple energy suddenly erupted from the back of Nicolae, and pierced the two men through their hearts.

"I am now god incarnate!" he screamed, his voice manic and inhuman. "Now I can rule the world! No more PAMC! No more government! I am the government! Finally, I have ushered in a new age, an age of perfection! And now!"

He threw away the men, and rose into the air, levitating.

"You five," he hissed at the girls. "Thank you for helping me with this! Now, I will repay the favor..."

He made a taunting hand gesture at the girls. Suddenly, all five felt something...leave their bodies.

"N-no!" Miho gasped, raising her sword. Something invisible formed between them and Nicolae, as a golden orb suddenly appeared from behind Miho. Whatever was about to leave their bodies...suddenly returned back, and all five girls gasped.

"What the?!" Saori panted. "What was that?!"

"That was..." Hana moaned. "Life-threatening."

"It was crazy!" Yukari uttered. "I felt like-like..."

"We were losing something," Mako completed the sentence, coughing. "It was our energy..."

"And our life," Miho declared, panting as she raised her sword. "You, Nicolae, were not only trying to take away our powers, but also our lives."

"Correct..." Nicolae hissed, his smile gone as he growled. "Though I was shocked at your...unusual power. You somehow halted my power, but not for long!"

He then raised his hands, almost like Count Dracula, as he bared his teeth and laughed again.

"You can stop my power!" he roared. "But can you resist for long? Ehehehehehe! You see, the Orb is the source of everything: the zombies, the mutant animals, and above all, you Chosen Ones."

The girls stood tense, but kept facing Nicolae. He was now high up in the sky, trying to look like a god.

"Ehehehehehe!" he responded again. "But somehow, I have always felt something...different about you, Miho Nishizumi!"

Miho stared at him, sword raised still.

"Somehow!" he roared, pointing his right index finger at her. "You were able to...turn other girls into Chosen Ones."

Everybody gasped, and stared at Miho.

"Wh-what?" Miho asked.

"Ehehehehe!" Nicolae snickered. "So yeah, as a reward for making me almighty, I will tell you everything I know:

* * *

"Miho Nishizumi, when you first set your feet upon the US soil, a few of my spies got suspicious. They got strange readings from around Los Angeles, and they pinpointed at your location. Around the same time, the zombies broke out of the San Andreas secret lab, almost as if the Orb...felt something. It was no coincidence that it started to break out at the same time. Long story short is this: you, Miho, seem to have...SOMETHING that the Orb felt!"

* * *

Miho sweated.

"And you know what that is?! You seem to have this...aura! And it seems to radiate out throughout! Even I felt it, and shivered! But now, I have nothing to fear! Long story short? You and your friends seem strong enough to defeat the Orb, and you did! Plus, you have turned ALL of your friends into Chosen, on the train!"

Miho nodded in affirmation, shocking her four friends.

"But now?" he responded, streams of sickly purple energy coursing throughout his body. "The REAL purpose of the Orb is to...make it break out of its shell. Sure enough, it did!"

"And Miho was key to that?!" the others asked.

"Not exactly," Nicolae continued. "To be honest, I was not sure, but once I saw you, and analyzed you since at the Red-Green Zone #3 in Los Santos, I KNEW that you were the KEY to finally showing the Orb's true powers!"

Miho sweated, not sure of whether what she and her team did was right or...wrong. She then raised her head to stare at Nicolae, determined.

"I believe what I did was right," she declared, raising her sword as well. "And you...merely took the advantage."

"What will you do, then?" Nicolae snickered. "Win over my Orb?"

"No," she declared. "To end this apocalypse, and to resolve the Orb once and for all."

She then pointed her chainsaw at him.

"If we have to defeat you," Miho declared. "We will."

He blinked, then smiled malevolently.

"Alright then!" he roared, opening his mouth.

A ball of purple energy formed inside, as the girls got ready.

"Girls," Miho said. "Here we go..."

* * *

 **15 miles east of the northern entrance of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **10:30 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"I am now the ultimate!" Nicolae boomed, as his mouth started to overflow with streams of purple energy, looking almost like...vomit.

Hana and Saori both made faces, although all of them kept their weapons focused on Nicolae.

"So this is what one of the dreams was," Miho muttered. "But how do we fight against him...when he has the Orb?"

"Now!" he roared again, his mouth still gaping. "Let's see what this new power can do!"

He then turned around, keeping his mouth open. His mouth faced the Golden Gate Bridge, its orangish-red color shimmering in the sunlight. A small ball of purple energy then fired from his mouth, and disappeared. Suddenly, the whole Bridge shook, and disintegrated into a cloud of red dust, floating into the sea below.

Everybody gasped in shock.

"Oh no..." Yukari shook.

"Man!" Saori pouted. "Why do bad guys always destroy famous monuments and icons like that?!"

"To get the world's attention," Mako replied nonchalantly. "A cliché of villains."

Nicolae cackled, beaming at the destruction he wrought.

"Now!" he said, turning to face the girls. "Before I do the same, I also have more to say."

"What is it?" Miho asked out loud, shaking a little.

He laughed maniacally, pleased at the reaction of the girls.

"The PAMC, the Watchers, the Chosen Ones, everything around us," he snickered, glowing purple. "All are intertwined with the Orb and its relatives. Everything you know about this apocalypse and all, is INDEED true. However, there is one key fact that not even the Watchers, or even my own twin brother, knew."

The girls stared at him.

"That one key fact is everything," he snarled; his smile and laughter were getting on the girls' nerves. Even Miho shook, not with fear but with disgust at the egomaniac attitude of their new nemesis.

"It's that I ALONE WILL GET IT!" he roared, erupting into more laughter. "And guess what? My dream came true!"

"And you killed your own allies?" Miho asked, sounding unusually snarky. She suddenly dropped her sword, letting it whirl and buzz on the shoreline. She then raised her hands to her side.

All four of her friends looked at her, then silently understood. They dropped their weapons, and they all held their hands together in line.

"Giving up, eh?" he roared, summoning a huge ball of energy. "Everything that happened, was all just to fulfill my dream of godhood! Now, I am god! Nobody except God, who is dead, can even stop me!"

"Then who created the Orb in the first place?" Mako snarled. She was the only one who kept one of her weapons, her shield on her left hand; she held Hana's left hand with her right hand.

"Great question!" Nicolae roared. "We PAMC have not been able to find that, but who cares?! My dream is fulfilled, and now your purpose is fulfilled!"

He then raised up the sickly ball of energy, ready to catapult it at the girls.

"And be alone in the world?" Miho uttered out loud.

"Alone?!" he cackled. "Alone? I alone AM the one! I will be-augh!"

Suddenly, the ball of energy disappeared, and he writhed in pain, as if he was having a stomachache. He gripped his torso with intense pain, his face wrinkled with apparent rage and shock.

"No!" he screamed. "Get in-get in! I got you!"

Suddenly, purplish cracks appeared on his skin, as he made horrible faces.

"The Orb," Miho gasped. "Is trying to get out!"

"Augh!" Nicolae howled, as something blue shot from the sea. "N-no! The Nephilim! They knew that it's still here! N-no!" Must-keep-it-in!"

He bellowed an inhuman roar, trying to keep the Orb within. Miho and her friends, watched, as they could tell that something round and purple was trying to escape out of his body.

"Girls!" Miho began. "Get ready to-ah!"

A nova of purple energy shot out from Nicolae, causing all girls to kneel down in great pain.

"Im-immobilization!" Nicolae panted. "That way, you-you pathetic J-Japs won't g-get in my way!

Nicolae kept clutching his stomach with his left hand, while holding his scalp with its right hand, as if his own head was about to explode. Despite the pain, Miho managed to raise her head, and noticed that numerous purple cracks scarred his entire face.

With great effort, Miho slowly got up, using her sword to help stand straight.

"Need...more...power!" Nicolae screamed, holding his right hand to something in the distance. Inhuman screams roared in the distance, as Miho gasped in shock.

Three streams of red, white, and blue energy traveled into the sky, and merged into Nicolae's right hand. He snickered.

"A little power boost," he uttered. "The moment I gained the Orb, I knew that the Orb can not only give power, but also...take it away!"

"And murdering innocent people in the process?" Miho questioned him, struggling to raise her sword.

"But you!" Nicolae snickered again, staring at the girls with intense purple eyes. "You girls...I should have taken your powers when I had the chance! Especially you, Miho! I feel something...immense from you!"

Miho struggled, but still held on, as she tried to get up AND listen at the same time.

"I have always wondered whether the Orb was its own kind," he growled. "Now, I know why; merging the Orb gave me some...interesting memories. I learn that once in a while, a human being-I do not know how-somehow can 'reproduce' or 'give birth' to an Orb."

Miho gasped.

"You mean that the Orb," she inquired. "Was made by someone else?"

"Precisely!" he declared, albeit struggling. "And now, it wants to rebel and NEVER have any rivals! Now, it feels that type of energy from...you!"

He then re-summoned his ball of massive energy, aiming at her.

"And I realize," he panted. "That if you do create another Orb, it will fight against my Orb, and hence my power and my dream! I will NEVER let you! I will kill you-vaporize you-erase you, and then I shall rule forever!"

He laughed again. Miho shook, as her body was weakening due to the immense pressure and loss of energy. She knelt down.

"Will you just die now?" he snickered.

"Never," she said it loud and clear.

"So be it!" he roared, ready to fire. "I will first kill you, then stabilize my Orb, then destroy that disgusting carrier, and then I-auugh!"

Unbeknownst to him, a helicopter suddenly flew in, tackling into him. Although the massive ball of energy disappeared instantly, it lingered long enough to destroy parts of the rotor blades, causing the aircraft spin around. Both Nicolae and the helicopter flew around, before crashing into the shoreline.

"Girls!" Miho cried out.

They suddenly felt all of their energy restored.

"Finally!" Saori cried out, flashing out her fans with rage. "That Nicolae guy will pay!"

"Hold your tongue!" Miho commanded, as she and others re-summoned their weapons. "Mako-san, drive the tank and follow us!"

Nodding, Mako jumped into the tank, while the four of them leaped towards the crash site.

* * *

 **15 miles east of the northern entrance of the Golden Gate Bridge**

 **San Francisco, CA, USA**

 **11:00 AM; July 19, 20XX**

"Augh..." Nicolae growled in intense pain, writhing as he struggled to get up. His skin was now purplish, with visible cracks pulsing with grotesque energy.

Behind him, the helicopter was in flames, as four people barely made it out. All five were lying on the ground, clearly hurt from the impact. The crash landed in another cliff hanging, not far away from the shore where Miho was.

As the four teammates approached, Miho gasped and ran straight for the smallest of the people.

"Alice-chan!" Miho roared, clutching the nearly-unconscious girl.

"Mi-Miho-chan," she barely said it, as the others tended to the other girls. "Finally...see you...again."

Miho sniffed, and grabbed her tight with her hands. Streams of energy flowed through, rapidly healing the burns and cuts all around the frail body of the prodigy girl.

"What was that for?!" Saori screamed, fanning her healing embers into a reddish-haired woman.

"Ehe..." Azumi barely grunted. "Alice ordered us...and we did it."

"Risky," Megumi groaned, as Hana tended to her wounds. "But good."

"My gloss crock," Rumi moaned. Yukari analyzed her, and realized that she had a serious concussion of sort. She held the poor woman's head with her gauntlets, and her distorted face and cranium rapidly restored back to normal.

"Wow-eh?" Rumi finally asked, shaking herself. "Man, one moment I was in the helicopter, the next moment we slammed into the shore, and I cracked my head..."

She held out her glasses.

"...and my glasses," she groaned.

"Here," Yukari said, touching the lenses with the tip of her left gauntlet. The glasses twitched, and reformed back to normal.

Rumi stared, aghast.

"Was that..." Rumi trailed off, too shocked to comprehend what just happened. "But thanks."

Mako brought the tank all the way to the scene. The girls finally healed the four members of the Selection University, who then got up.

"Miho-chan?!" Alice asked, staring up at Miho. "When did you grow so tall?"

"And you all are taller us!" Megumi gasped, looking at all five girls.

The five Anglerfish girls looked at each other, wondering what to do.

"Guess you're heroes, then," Alice suddenly broke the silence, and everybody stared at her. She even made at curtsy at Miho, who blushed in response.

"But what was that about?" Yukari gasped.

"Alice saw you all suffering," Azumi said.

"And we knew that we had one shot," Megumi spoke.

"And you know the rest," Rumi uttered with a small smile, fixing her glasses.

"So now!" Alice declared. "Bermuda Trio! Move out! Let our friends deal with Count Crazy!"

Miho and her friends giggled, as Alice blushed.

"Count Crazy is bad!" Azumi chimed in, dragging Alice with the other Bermuda girls. "Miho-san! We wish you well!"

Miho nodded, as she and her team faced Nicolae, who was slowly rising up.

Mako trembled.

"He really looks like a vampire," Mako whispered. "I wish Alice did not say that."

"You..." he hissed, then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, all five girls became petrified, their bodies except their heads turned into solid, gray concrete.

"I should have killed you sooner!" he hissed, transforming his hands into sharp, katana-like blades. "I am going to kill you, and then do my business!"

"Already?" Miho asked, as if almost mocking him. "You think you can just kill us now?"

Despite her situation, Miho did not lose her cool; seeing her like this, her teammates held their breath.

"No more chit-chat!" he roared, raising his right blade. "I am gonna-augh!"

Two figures slammed into Nicolae, causing him to fall. However, despite that, the girls still found themselves immobilized.

"He must have learned," Mako gasped.

"Still petrified here?!" Saori screamed.

Miho gasped, recognizing the animals.

"Here we are!" the tiger roared, swiping rapidly at Nicolae, while the eagle swooped around.

"Fools!" he roared, wrestling against the tiger. "I am the Orb! And you cannot overcome me!"

Miho paled a little, as she realized what the two animals were trying to do.

"N-no!" Miho gasped, as she struggled with her petrified body. Suddenly, cracks appeared on the concrete, which radiated out small lights of golden energy.

"Don't worry about us!" both animals roared. The tiger continued to swipe at Nicolae, while the eagle stabbed from behind.

"Fools!" Nicolae cackled, as he continued to block blow after blow. "You can't kill me! I absorb you!"

He raised his hands, and both animals screeched in pain, as he slowly turned them into streams of energy to absorb them.

"No!" Miho broke free, as thousands of concrete shards flew out. She then charged at Nicolae, but stopped upon seeing the animals shake their heads.

"You have saved us," they both grunted. "Let us do the ultimate sacrifice."

Miho sweated, then saw that the animals somehow wrapped something around their bodies...

"You animals are pathetic!" Nicolae croaked with laughter, finally absorbing every single bit of the animals. "I-AUUUUGGHHH!"

A huge explosion ruptured out of his body.

"Explosives," Miho noted. "The animals wrapped their bodies in some dynamites, and let Nicolae absorb them..."

"That clever?!" Saori asked in shock.

"Ugh..." Nicolae groaned, as his body rapidly recovered, but did not fully heal all scars. As he stood, he looked more like a zombie than a human.

"Clever animals," he hissed. "Now that they are gone, I am going to-"

Crunch!

A massive jaw grabbed him by the stomach, as the animal shook him back and forth. It then spat him back, making faces.

"Augh!" Tyra groaned, spitting. "Disgusting! Does not taste human!"

"Tyra!" Miho cried out, then stumbled in pain. "Oh, cramps! I got cramps!"

Suddenly, the other girls felt their bodies being restored, as the concrete blocks rapidly fell apart.

"Whew!" Saori gasped, dusting off her uniform. "I thought I was a goner!"

"We are good," Hana remarked, dusting her own naginata.

"Oh man!" Yukari groaned. "I hate feeling stuck!"

"Sleepy," Mako began, but shivered when Nicolae suddenly rose.

"Strong, aren't you?" asked Tyra, growling at the horrific figure of Nicolae.

"So..." Nicolae hissed. "You let the animals die, so that you can deal the blow? Bah! Even your strong jaws cannot-auh!"

He twitched, then unleashed a huge burst of energy, knocking back everyone. Even Tyra flew away a few meters on her side, before rising up like it was nothing. Miho and the others also got up, their weapons raised.

Tyra merely grunted, as Nicolae started to twitch and writhe.

"Nice shot," Tyra said. "The tiger and the eagle told me what they were going to do. I told that it was risky and deadly, but they decided to repay you a favor. Chosen One, they told me to tell you this..."

Tyra stared down at Miho, who looked back.

"Thank you for all your hard work," Tyra said.

Miho wept.

"N-n-no!" Nicolae groaned, as his body started to eject streams of sickly energy out, especially out of the bite marks.

"No..." he gasped, as his body seemed to bloat a little. "I was...so close."

His entire body became purple, and vaporized as the Orb reappeared and floated upwards.

 _You...You're the one...Now, I cannot...but I must..._

The Orb made what sounded like a whisper, slowing floating over to Miho, like a slow-moving bomb.

Miho stared at it with intense eyes, although she felt a little pity. She shook her head.

"You," she said, raising her sword. The Orb screeched, and flew straight at her.

 _Slash!_

A golden cut slew it cleanly in half.

 _No..._

"Are," she replied, giving a nice push kick, the halves falling down into the Bay below.

Suddenly, the halves of the Orb shook and disappeared into an invisible shockwave, causing the Bay to ripple with huge waves. Winds blew furiously, almost like a hurricane, while the entire sky became dark.

Then...all was still, and the sun suddenly shone.

"Done," she finished at last.

"Wow.." the other girls responded in awe.

"It's gone," Tyra grunted. "And so did the carrier."

The girls all looked at the sea. The speck of the carrier, which was visible a while ago, was gone.

Miho lowered down her chainsword, which slowly stopped moving its blade. Saori, Hana, Yukari, and Mako all stared at the horizon. Tyra grunted, and slowly backed away, jumping away. Miho looked behind, nodding in silence before staring at the sky, then at their surroundings.

On impulse, Miho raised her hands to hold together in a line. All of them did, and watched around, and gasped.

Everything was apparently restored. No damaged buildings, no fires, and no blocked roads. The cars were all restored back. Best of all, the Golden Gate Building was shining brilliantly in the morning sun.

Miho breathed in relief.

"It's good," Mako grunted.

"Hooray!" Saori cried out, jumping up and down.

"It is done," Hana declared.

"Guess it's a happy ending!" Yukari cried out.

"No," Miho said seriously.

The others all looked at her, then they all saw multiple planes and drones fly through the Gate, then over the city.

"It has only begun."

* * *

 **Hollywood Boulevard**

 **Los Angeles, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

 _She heard screams. Screams of anger. Screams of pain. Screams of desperation..._

 _No, not screams of desperation, but screams of despair._

 _"What are you all doing?" a tall girl asked, her Hand of God being taken away._

 _"Bind and cuff her," a strange man in a futuristic power-suit grunted. His armor glinted a blackish-silver color, with neon-cyan edges as he and a group of others rounded up the incapacitated girls._

 _"What's your status?" a radio from the van called._

 _The soldier who gave the orders to cuff a girl answered._

 _"We have rounded up five more Chosen Ones," said the soldier. "We are all safe and sound. No injuries so far."_

 _"Any more Chosen Ones?"_

 _"No, sir."_

 _"Keep up the good work. 10-4."_

 _"10-4."_

 _Click._

 _He then turned around. Despite his visor covering his eyes, she could sense them glaring at her-_

"Miporin?"

"Miho-san?"

"Nishizumi-dono!"

"Miho...Miho!"

"Eh?"

* * *

Miho rubbed her eyes, waking up.

"Another dream again," Miho whispered, stretching and getting up.

"It's almost as if you dream whenever something crazy will happen," Saori said. Now, all of her friends paid attention to her dreams. Ever since the apocalypse, the girls were now attentive to Miho. She never suddenly slept, unless she was dreaming. Although she no longer dreamed as much since the apocalypse was gone, whenever she dreamed, her whole team took note.

"Thanks," Miho said, smiling. "So, what are you all up to?"

"Still watching our surroundings," Hana replied.

"And with our unique inventions!" Yukari shouted, raising her weird telescope. Although it looked like the type used in their tanks, it was silver-white with black claw-marks all over it. Hana was using her own telescope, which was much slimmer than Yukari's.

Although the girls thought that everything was over, Miho predicted that not all was done. Indeed, now they set up base on top of a residential building, which was lined with numerous tents and umbrellas. The girls were not just watching their surroundings; they were...

"Look!" Yukari called out, and each girl modified her own weapon into a telescopic device of sort.

They all looked through their lenses, and watched a giant screen reveal a special news report.

"This is the Worldwide Broadcast Network," said an elegantly dressed woman in a screen. The screen rose among the skyscrapers of Los Angeles, as the girls watched.

"It has been 40 days," she said. "Since the strange event that transpired in California. Most unsubstantiated reports, and even a few reports from leaked files of the US government, tell about a zombie apocalypse that was supposed to have occurred. However, as mysteriously as it happened, it disappeared. Furthermore, Los Angeles, Los Santos, and San Francisco appear to be the most affected by whatever had happened, although almost all damage was mysterious restored."

"So," Mako said nonchalantly, although her teeth were grinding a little. "They're now trying to cover up what happened here?"

"Not a good job," Saori remarked, pouting.

"Hold on," Miho said, watching.

"But we have two more key news to report," the announcer blared, taking out two pieces of paper. "The first news was about the zombie apocalypse or whatever happened. The second is that the US government has issued warnings about the Chosen Ones. Unlike that of the zombie apocalypse, which the government has been rather silent on, the government is ordering that anyone report about the Chosen Ones. All we know about the Chosen Ones is that they appear to be terrorists, masterminds behind seemingly impossible heists and criminal activities in California since the 'Fall of California' had ended."

"And that's why," Yukari sighed. "We're on the run."

"Because of a few bad apples!" Saori pouted. "Some just wreaked havoc, and we were all just wanting to go home! Now, we cannot!"

Miho shushed the others, as they watched again.

"The third is perhaps the strangest," the woman continued, making a strange face. "Geologists have discovered that a part of southern California is weird, as if something was taken out of it. A fragment of land appeared to have been forcibly removed, by methods unknown to science. However, we now officially confirm the rumor around..."

The girls stared, expecting the unexpected.

"There is a new island," she replied. "This island is the largest anyone had ever seen. It is clearly the biggest piece of evidence that something dramatic had happened in California. Reports, both confirmed and unconfirmed, affirm that-"

Suddenly, the screen turned static. Miho blinked, but she knew what had transpired.

"We now have everything we need," Miho said, getting up. "Girls, let's go."

The others nodded, getting up. They packed up all of their belongings, and jumped away, except for Miho. As she held her belongings, she took out her...tablet.

"Shiho..." she whispered. Her right index finger slowly moved towards a button, knowing that she could contact her...

...but resisted the urge, and pulled away. She then silently put the tablet back, as a few tears fell.

"I miss you," she whispered, as she leaped to follow her team.

Suddenly, a few helicopters and a large number of drones flew in the distance, and the girls saw them and quickly hid in the alleyways. One of the drones flew into an alley, and tried to detect them. After a few tense seconds, it then flew away.

"Good thing my shield," Mako remarked. "Keeps heat sensors from detecting us."

They resumed their escape, leaping over buildings and hiding into alleyways, whenever an airplane, a drone, or even a random bystander appeared. After what felt like an hour of escaping, the girls finally reached the edge of a dense forest, west of Los Angeles.

"It's funny," Yukari blurted out. "That we came to Los Angeles, where we began our Parade."

"Remember?" Saori replied back. "We came in order to check to see whether our belongings were there or not. Man! Most of them are gone, except a few things."

"It was mostly useless stuff," Miho said. "But at least we brought our most valuable items with us in the first place."

"Now," Hana sighed. "We are here again."

They then walked into a thick stand of vegetation. Despite the thorns and branches, the girls easily maneuvered through, as if they were elves who were in tune with the natural world.

"Are we elves?" Saori asked, touching her ears. "Nope, no pointy ears."

She pouted.

"What's fun about being elves?" Mako snorted. "We can't eat meat if we are."

"Be quiet," Saori grunted, but a faint smile appeared. "Good thing."

"There it is," Miho said.

They all stopped and looked. Their own tank looked just like the original, but bigger and more metallic.

"It looks like a futuristic version of our old tank," Saori remarked.

"But still clearly Panzer IV Ausf. H., nonetheless!" Yukari yelled, caressing it with her left cheek. "Eh? Sorry again."

The girls got a little used to Yukari's antics, which were still there. Miho giggled.

"You know," Miho said, touching the tank's front with her right hand.

She looked up at it.

The Panzer IV Ausf. H., or what it was before its drastic transformation, still retained its superficial Panzer appearance. However, its brownish paint was now more of a magenta tinge, with various stripes of gold, blue, red, white, and black all around it. Despite that, the tank was clearly designed to blend in; its armor reflected with what looked like scales, which somehow affected the rays to blend in with its surroundings. Hence, to the girls, it was visible, but to the naked eye, it looked quite green. It also helped that its armored skirts were more jagged, as if they were added on just to make it look "cool." Its cannon also was more rectangular rather than cylindrical, lined with teeth-like projections that resembled that of an anglerfish's face. Perhaps the funniest of all, on top of the tank hanged a flexible rod, which bent down like a fishing rod; on its tip was a bright, golden orb, pulsing with energy.

Miho stared at it for a while, before turning to her friends.

"Girls," Miho said. "Let me tell you this: my dream I had was a fresh new one. It was about how the authorities are now after us. I believe that they're capturing us Chosen, in order to access the island."

"Huh?" Saori asked. "How do you that fast?"

"It IS obvious," Hana said. "All those days that we have spent running away, the authorities were rounding us Chosen Ones en masse."

"And with the island there," said Yukari. "They obviously want to enter it, but the two are clearly connected."

"So the island," Mako said. "Is inaccessible, but they can do it with the Chosen Ones, right?"

Miho nodded grimly.

"What do they do with the Chosen Ones?!" Saori yelled. "Now that I think about it, we don't even know what happened to everybody else?!"

"Good thing none of the Chosen Ones we saw," Yukari said, calming Saori down. "Were members of our own school, or other schools."

"What we do know," said Miho. "Or, all we know is that in the previous reports, PAMC and all of its associate companies went bankrupt, were arrested, and forced to shut down for good."

"But not before they influenced other authorities," Yukari said, sighing. "Now, we have to go."

The girls all were silent, and looked up at the sky. Miho almost saw a cloud, shaped like her team and her tank, as they fought in their old Senshadou matches. Smiling, crying, yelling...

"Can we ever get back to our old lives?" asked Saori, sobbing a little. "And Senshadou?"

"This is Senshadou," Miho said, reaching out her hand on top of their tank again. "We march together, we fight together, and we rise together."

Saori wiped away her tears, as the others did the same. Nodding in unison, they all put their hands together in a hand stack.

"Team, friends, family," Miho began. "We are-oh."

Suddenly, a tiny arm reached out, its two claws lightly on the stack.

"I agree," Tyra said.

"Tyra!" Miho and her friends gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

* * *

 _Ever since the sudden disappearance of the apocalypse, all of the animals appeared to have been returned back to normal, or disappeared. Miho and her friends made a quick funeral service, thanking the tiger and the eagle for their noble sacrifice. Afterwards, the girls had been looking around, wondering about what happened to all of the talking animals and whatnot._

 _"Reports indicate," another news reporter blared from a screen days ago. "That some strange animals, some from zoos, have mysteriously entered the Pacific Ocean. They appear to be swimming to the southwestern direction. Authorities have been silent on this, but warn others to avoid the dangerous animals at all cost."_

* * *

"We are talking animals," Tyra replied, grinning as her massive teeth shone in the sun. "Unlike stupid animals, we talking animals know about human nature. Some of us pretend to be stupid, then get away when humans let down their guards. Others, like I, simply learn to avoid human settlements. Humans sure hate wildernesses."

"But why are you here?!" Miho gasped. "You know that if they find a dinosaur like you alive..."

"Don't worry," she replied, waving off the question with her tiny arms. "Unlike our ancestors, we talking dinosaurs have learned our lesson. We know that we need to avoid humans at all costs, because the world is NOT ready for us yet."

"And what about Miho's question?" Saori inquired.

"Ah!" she replied, clearing her throat. "Miho madam or something..."

"Just say Miho," she replied, giggling.

"OK!" Tyra grunted in agreement. "Miho, before I journey to the island, I have come to tell you: do you know why the blue men want the Chosen Ones?"

The girls nodded. They had talked to each other a few times throughout their stay in California, since the end of the apocalypse. Tyra consistently called the police officers "blue men," due to their uniforms.

"Oh!" Tyra blinked. "You already know that the men want the Chosen Ones, because only Chosen Ones and talking animals of sort can enter the island."

They nodded.

"But based on inference," Miho added quickly.

"But something even more important..." she suddenly growled, staring at the girls intensely. The girls paid attention.

"Mark my words," Tyra said, turning around to walk away. "That you are Chosen; being Chosen is being responsible. You are what you become with your choices. Now, you all CHOSE to stay in the apocalypse, and overcome it. Now, you are CHOSEN to CHOOSE to go. The island needs all Chosen Ones; CHOOSE and be CHOSEN."

Tyra then sniffed the air, and ran away, crashing into the woods.

"Poetic and mysterious as usual," Saori pouted.

"But noble," Hana remarked.

"And awesome like a tank!" Yukari squealed.

"Strange things everyday," Mako blurted out.

Miho mused in silence, pondering Tyra's words.

"Girls," Miho said. "I know that we all want to go home. But now, we have more important matters. All of the school ships are still waiting for us all, but we need to go to the island. It seems that the island has something that we need. Sure, we can just go home, but the authorities will eventually get us. The only way is to go to the island, and see what will happen next."

"We are in this!" all four girls declared, putting their hands together into a hand stack. "Together!"

Miho nodded sternly, but with a soft, warm smile. Tears fell down, as she placed her soft right hand on top of the stack, and looked to the horizon in the ocean.

Numerous animals were apparently moving in the southwestern direction, and Miho could tell that most of the animals were unusual. Some were swimming, while others were flying. She even glimpsed a few boats moving in that direction, although military helicopters were flying close by.

"Girls," Miho said. "You are not just my team; you all are my family. I love you all, which is why we stand together in this. We live together, we march together, and we rise together."

With that, she closed her eyes.

"Let's us go, and be strong," she whispered. "Amen."

"Amen!" the others replied.

Miho then turned around, summoning her sword. It whirled and buzzed in excitement, as the others summoned their weapons. They watched the horizon, and their tank also watched.

"Our journey may not be over," she said, raising her sword. It gleamed in the sun, shining brighter and brighter.

"Let's go to the island. Panzer vor."

* * *

 **Except for the epilogue, this is the end.**

 **It has been a long, LONG adventure. Almost a year ago, I first started this story, and it is officially my very first story that I have completed. I am amazed that I even finished this story. After trying to work on a few stories, such as "Girls und Odyssey" and "Welcome to America, GuP," I realize that none of them really worked out for me. In fact, every failure was an opportunity to learn not only how to write, but also to learn about myself.**

 **"Girls Dead Rise: War of California" was originally a GuP story that took a zombie apocalypse twist, with much fantasy influence. I first posted it as something about "Horror/Adventure," but now it's really "Fantasy/Adventure." In the beginning, I intended the story to last for at least 50 chapters. However, as I kept writing, the story somehow evolved on its own, and became something more than I expected. Furthermore, I realize that one key issue was keeping consistent with themes. Hence, this story ends one "book" of my potential series.**

 **To be honest, this story was intended to be something I convert into an original work, but the story is a little rough, especially in the beginning. This is why I end the story, in order to start a fresh new story with my new experience.**

 **At the end of the day, I am amazed, thrilled, and joyful to declare that the "Girls Dead Rise: War of California" has finally finished the war, and peace finally reigns at last!**

 **...Maybe.**

 **I thank every one of you readers and reviewers for all your hard work.**

 **Above all, I thank my God, as today (the day I officially publish this chapter) is Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas, and all of you readers!**

 **SeekerMeeker: Merry Christmas!**

 **Miho and her team: Merry Christmas!**

 **Merry Christmas...**

 **SeekerMeeker: Oh! They're here.**

 **Who are they? Find out in the Epilogue!**


	31. Epilogue

**As I promised, here is the Epilogue.**

 **Have you wondered what happened to...no, I am going to give away too much. Just read, in order to find out why I have the Epilogue.**

 **If you don't care about the Epilogue, please skip down to the last scene (marked "XXXXX"), featuring Shiho. Her scene is crucial.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Epilogue**

 **Angeles National Forest**

 **Los Angeles County, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

The Sun blazed over the mountains. Once again, it was another peaceful day. Millions of trees swayed in the wind, dancing a little in subtle joy. Birds chirped, deer grazed, and lizards bathed in the warmth of the rays from above. Finally, it was peaceful.

Indeed, it was formerly overrun with a variety of survivors, struggling to escape from the apocalypse; now, it was devoid of most humans, as most had returned back to their former lives. However, junk of all kinds littered the beautiful forest floor, hidden by the wide canopy of the trees above.

"Man," grunted a forester, as he picked up litter after litter with his special trash pick-up tool, which resembled an over-sized pair of tongs. "After the zombie apocalypse, so many of us now have left this paradise, and left it in ruins!"

He kept complaining, as he picked up litter after litter. Once in a while, he kept wiping off the sweat from his forehead, his gloves tainted with dirt and whatnot.

"The apocalypse sure has disappeared at last," he grunted again. "But they forgot to take their trash! Augh, what a trash!"

Suddenly, something dark loomed by, and he looked up.

"Huh," he remarked. "A vulture, big and black. Let it feast on dead animals; that's not my thing!"

Complaining loudly still, he then continued to pick litter, putting hundreds of junk items into his giant bag.

"Ugh!" he groaned. "Before the apocalypse, no one cared about order and cleanliness! Now, a few of us are FORCED to clean up other people's mess!"

Suddenly, a silver-gray beak reached out with a squashed can.

"Thanks," he mumbled, taking it with his gloved right hand, unaware of what it was.

The forester continued to work, picking up litter with his new sidekick.

Then, it hissed when the forester did not notice him with a piece of cardboard box.

"Yeah-yeah," he began. "Whatever-"

He dropped his bag and trash picker, shocked at what was next to him.

A huge vulture stood before him. It stared at him, its black eyes shining in the sunlight. Its robust, black body stood majestically, despite the floor surrounded with shiny junk. The black, puffy frill of feathers wrapped around the base of its neck like a royal scarf. Its bald, pink head and neck were...ugly, which was understandable for a vulture.

"A California condor?" the forester gasped. "Man, it's been a while since I've seen one of you guys. A rare species."

He stared at the bird, which stared back. After a few seconds of silence, the condor grunted.

"And you want to help?" the forester asked on impulse. To his shock, the condor closed its eyes and nodded.

"Eh..." the forester stuttered. "O-one moment we had zombies, and now...an animal that knows what I am saying?"

The condor nodded in reply.

"Guess you cannot talk," the forester remarked.

The condor nodded, and walked up to a wooden platform nearby, which the forester used as a table and as a chair to sit down.

"Rest well," the forester began. "Thanks for help-"

Suddenly, something rumbled in the distance.

"What the?" the forester blinked, but ducked his head, as the condor flew from the platform, and soared in the direction of the sound.

Then, all was still. Birds chirped. Deer grazed. Lizards bathed in the warmth of the rays from above.

"Well," the forester mused. He then picked up another piece of trash; this time, instead of complaining, he smiled at the piece.

"Every piece of trash removed," he said, putting it into his bag. "Is a piece of evil removed. Huh, if the condor understands that, then how much more I?"

He tipped his forester hat at the soaring bird, as it flew away.

"Thank you, condor," he said with an optimistic voice. "And have a sunny day."

* * *

 **Fresno, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

A police cruiser blared its sirens, chasing after four girls, who were doing parkour on multiple buildings.. The girls jumped up and down through the pipes, walls, and anything to climb on; they were so adept at it, that even the officer momentarily thought that he was chasing after monkeys.

"What's your status?" the voice blared from the radio.

"10-6!" the officer cried out. "Busy! These Chosen Ones are hard to capture!"

"Just get close enough," the voice blared again. "To see them!"

"10-4!" he cried out, before dropping the transmitter to speed towards them.

He glared at the four.

All except one were quite tall and robust, and wore what looked like red-and-white sports uniforms. The last one, apparently the leader, was quite short and tomboyish, so that the officer initially thought that the leader was a boy in a white T-shirt. Then, the four girls turned into a corner, and were gone.

"**** it!" the officer roared. "Well, I got their description at least."

"Who were they?" another officer called, casually.

"Some athletic girls," he answered. "Apparently, they were fit even before becoming Chosen. Now, they could outdodge even a car!"

"Well, leave them be," said his friend over the radio. "We'll capture them someday..."

* * *

"It's like the Battle of Thermopylae..."

A blond, spiky-haired girl watched four girls being chased by a police officer, only to disappear in time.

"Erwin," a tall girl with a red scarf said. "Where was that battle again?"

"You never heard of that battle-zeyo?!" a short-ish girl with glasses responded, watching the situation with her own set of binoculars. "But boy, the Duck Team sure knows how to dodge so well."

"But we are the Hippo Team," said Erwin, raising her right hand parallel to the ground. A cloud of strange dust appeared, and she summoned a strange shotgun with four barrels. Spinning it around, she inspected it before loading it.

"So," said the tall girl, summoning her weapon. "We're going to join the Duck Team now, right?"

"It's time," she uttered. "Let us go and enjoy the fun."

"That's right!" the others responded with delight, summoning their own weapons before jumping down. They then ran in the direction of the four girls.

"Duck Team!" Erwin called out. "We're coming for you!"

* * *

"Good thing you all are working here in secret," said a rich old lady.

"Th-thank you so much!" a girl with short, brown hair replied, bowing down deeply.

"Don't you worry," the lady said. "I know that the authorities are looking after the likes of you, but you six girls look too innocent to go to jail, so stay here while you all plan what to do."

"Ari-thank you so much again!" the girl said, bowing down again. "And I am Azu-"

"And don't say your name either," the lady said, waving off. "But I am going out for my usual meeting. Don't want my club to worry about me. See you later, sweeties!"

She left, and the girl sighed in relief.

"So glad that she let us in!" a girl with short, black hair uttered, coming out. "Azusa-chan, it was such a miracle that we even are here!"

Azusa sighed.

"Good thing," she admitted. "It was crazy about 40 days ago..."

"Crazy it was!" a girl with long, twin ponytails and wide eyeglasses yelled, coming out, and three other girls all came in.

Azusa sighed.

"OK!" she finally said, getting her friends' attention. "Girls! We are glad to not only survive the apocalypse, but also take shelter inside an old lady's house!" Fortunately, nobody else lives here, and she lets us live on the condition that we clean up this place!"

"And boy did we do a great job!" the tallest of the girls said, looking up. "It was a little dusty here, and now it's spotless clean!"

"But soon," Azusa said. "We all have to leave this place and Fresno, and find the other teams."

"But how?"

"..."

* * *

"Prez!" a girl with a monocle in her right eye screamed. "Will you wake up?!"

"Meh..." a short girl with reddish twin ponytails moaned in response, trying to pretend to sleep in a makeshift cot.

Three girls were scouting from a lone, tall office building, as they kept away from the police sirens below.

"Prez," a girl with a large, brown ponytail replied. "I know that it's hard and that you're napping in order to relieve yourself, but we have an issue here."

"And that's to go to the island!" the monocled girl roared, throwing a small tantrum.

"Momo-chan, you're angry again," the brunette teased.

"Shut up!" Momo responded.

"Speaking of which," Anzu interjected. "We've sighted only four of us teams here."

"You mean," said Momo. "That we first gather them up, and then go?"

"Sure thing," said Anzu, getting up. "There is safety in number, Yuzu."

"And speaking of teams," Yuzu said, looking at the horizon, sighting a few of their own members. "Where are the other teams...?"

* * *

 **Sacramento, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"What in the world...where are we?!"

Three girls, all virtually identical in clothing and even hairstyle, stood in front of a police station.

"Well!" the leader of them declared. "I, Sodoko, will help us all to get back in order! But first, we must find a way to get rid of our...un-Moral powers!"

"But we have done nothing bad," said the girl who looked just like her, except for her happier expression.

"Still!" her leader replied, waving her right fist, unconsciously summoning her weapon. "Gomoyo, we did that only because we had the power to stop bad guys! However! We have to find a way to become normal again, but first we must...oops."

A police officer came out of the entrance and saw her, then her Hand of God in her hand.

"10-33!" the officer roared, getting back into his building. "Emergency!"

"Run!" Sodoko roared, and all three leaped away just as three cruisers appeared out of nowhere. "Man! I forgot that I can still do that!"

"Didn't you tell us not to use our powers?" asked Gomoyo, almost teasing her.

"Hey!" Sodoko cried out. "But yeah, this does NOT feel like Moral or Senshadou!"

* * *

 **Anaheim, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"Oh boy-nyaaa!" a tall, lanky girl whispered excitedly, staring with her eyes glued to a glass display of video game consoles and merchandise. "Finally, after surviving zombies and authorities, we can finally look at these in peace-nya!"

She and her two friends all huddled up together, checking out any cheap items they could find. Since the apocalypse was over, life returned back to normal; even video game shops were now open. However, one thing was different...

"Man-momo!" a short girl next to the tall one groaned, a peach-shaped eyepatch over her right eye. "Too many zombie video games these days! And not enough tank-related ones-momo!"

"Of course," a police officer casually said, as he walked by. "I am tired of them, too, after fighting so many zomb..."

He stared at the trio, and all three girls reciprocated. After a few awkward seconds of silence, the officer held up his radio.

"10-33," he replied. "I need backup."

"Oops," the last of the three, with a gray ponytail, replied. "Nekota, I think we need to go-piyo!"

"Momoga! Piyotan!" Nekota yelled. "Run-nyaaaaaa!"

Instead, all three JUMPED high into the air, landing on the third floor of the mall.

"Capture them!" the officer cried out, giving chase.

"No time for games!" Nekota screamed, leading the way. "This IS the game-nya."

* * *

 **Los Angeles, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"Repairs, repairs..."

Four girls in buff maintenance uniforms perused an old auto shop, as they scoured the place for any pieces they could.

"Sir!" the leader of them asked. "Do you have anything else here?"

"You better hurry!" the man barked, impatient. "It's only because you have fixed 20 of our vehicles using your... _magic_ , that I am allowing you all to get what you need. However, police is coming around, patrolling the streets, so you better hurry, Miss Nakajima!"

"OK!" Nakajima answered with a smile. "Girls! Let's rock!"

They hurriedly found as many auto parts as they could, before bowing down to the owner and running away. He watched them, as they jumped up and down through high-rise buildings with ease. The man chuckled with a small smile.

"Well," he remarked, as a police cruiser passed by without stopping. "The world is a crazy world, eh?"

"Just who are those girls?" one of his workers asked, coming forward. "The Chosen Ones? They're anything but harmful or dangerous."

"Guess some are," the owner replied. "Fortunately, those girls saved us a LOT of money and time by using their powers to fix 20 of our cars. Now, we have some spare. Say, wanna go home early?"

"Huh?" the worker asked. "But sir, I need money."

"I will ensure that you do," he said with a wink. "Now, enjoy your extended _paid_ break."

"Th-thank you so much!" the young worker replied with joy, and ran to prepare to go home.

"It's a wonderful life, eh?" he chuckled. "Good luck, Chosen Ones."

* * *

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"Have you heard a saying," a lady-like girl uttered. "Rome was not built in a day?"

"But it has!" a pinkish-redheaded girl yelled, running at her and her team full speed. "And I have the tea ready!"

"Rosehip-san!" a girl with long, blond hair tied with a black hairband wailed in disbelief. "That was dangerous!"

"Ai," the girl who spoke the proverb replied, giggling. "That was a nice run, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Rosehip replied, saluting her leader. "Darjeeling-sama! I have outrun three of the police cruisers! Man, it was so exhilarating!"

"It's not easy for us," sighed the other girls. "That we're now on the run."

"Of all the people," said a short girl with ginger hair tied in twist buns. "We, the girls of the St. Gloriana Girls High School, are expected to be noble and elegant. Now, we are on the run like a group of outlaws."

"Like Robin Hood!" Rosehip blurted out.

"At least we are safe in this abandoned warehouse," Darjeeling said. "And now you see, we adapt. Those of us who are 'slow and steady' then rely on one type of strategy to escape from the authorities. Rosehip, however, is special in that she is the fastest of us, so she has her own unique role."

"Which is why she keeps running back and forth," Orange Pekoe sighed. "Good thing that we get her to run out, because when we tried to keep her inside here, we got annoyed by her running all around. Even a treadmill, with maximum speed, failed to help; she accidentally destroyed three of them in the process."

"But at the end of the day," Darjeeling said, sipping her tea. "Even from a foe a man may learn wisdom. Oh!"

She stared at her teacup, amazed at the flavor.

"What's this?" she asked. "This is amazing!"

"My own unique brew!" Rosehip declared. "Chocolate-mocha-strawberry-vanilla-Darjeeling-orange-hibiscus tea!"

All except Darjeeling made faces at that.

"Eww..." they all responded.

Darjeeling giggled, then suddenly laughed. She dropped her teacup, which Rosehip dashed in just in time to catch it. The others stared at her in disbelief.

"Oh-ho," she giggled. "Rosehip-san, we're glad that you're here."

"I am glad you're here!" Rosehip declared, saluting her. "And merry Christmas-oops! It's too early for Christmas!"

Darjeeling giggled, then cleared her throat a little.

"Ladies," Darjeeling said, with a serious tone that even Rosehip listened to. "We are now in a new state of the world. The apocalypse is gone, but now we live in a new world. Let us go, and gain wisdom along the way."

"Going to that mysterious island?" Orange Pekoe inferred.

Darjeeling smiled.

"Why not?"

* * *

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"So," a blond bombshell whispered, gritting her teeth. "This is a new world, after all."

"A brave new world," a short girl with short, brown hair tied into twin ponytails interjected. "This is so crazy. For some reason, the authorities have not really chased after us. Kay?"

Kay breathed in, and out.

Then, she roared.

"OHHHH YEEEAAAHHHH!" she screamed out, as she and her team were on the side of a mountain. "Finally, we are free! Sort of."

She stretched out, smiling.

"Stop scaring us like that!" the short-haired girl said. "This is serious, you know!"

"Oh come," Kay teased her vice commander. "Alisa-chan, this is America, you know? Finally, we have a bit of 'American freedom' that we rarely get back in Japan."

"But that was in Saunders!" Alisa retorted. "Anyway, we're on the run still!"

"But yeah, you're right," Kay said, thinking hard. "The police chased us as usual, then stopped chasing us to intercept other Chosen Ones. Hmm, I wonder why..."

"Anyway!" Alisa said, breaking Kay's train of thoughts. "Let's just get to the island!"

* * *

 **At the coastline on a beachside pizzeria**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"Have you seen any of them?"

A group of police officers asked a large crowd, which flooded a local pizzeria. Formerly struggling to survive, it suddenly spiked in popularity, rousing the suspicion of even the police.

"Want some?" one of the tourists asked, handing an officer a slice of pizza.

The sweet aroma of rosemary, garlic, basil, olive oil, and all kinds of Italian ingredients permeated the air, distracting even the officer.

"Eh..." he hesitated, trying to resist. "Wait...Uh...Now I can see why-"

"THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!" the broadcast system of the restaurant suddenly blared. "BUT NOW WE MUST GO!"

Boom!

Suddenly, something blasted out from behind the restaurant. Rushing towards the noise, the officer noticed a boat, flying through the sand and into the waters.

"That's them!" one of the officer roared. "Get them or..."

The Italian aroma was now much more overwhelming, as hundreds of tourists came out with their meals. Slices of pizza, bowls of pasta, and even some unusual plates radiated an explosion of sweet smells, overwhelming even the officers.

"Oh..." they got distracted, and by the time they realized it, it was too late.

"Wheee!" a girl with large, twin drill-ponytails screamed with delight, as her boat roared away. "Mystery island, here we come!"

* * *

 **Somewhere in another outskirt of the city**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"OK-OK!" a police officer said nervously, raising his hands in the air. "You win! Let me go, please!"

A few figures, dark due to the shadow, managed to not only corner a police officer, but also destroy his radio and his weapons. Realizing his situation, the officer surrendered without a fight, knowing that they were too strong to deal with.

"That's right!" a little girl stated, piggybacking on a tall girl's back. "I, the King Katyusha, will purge you and your kind from the face of the Earth!"

The officer tilted his head, finding her antics...both odd and cute. She blushed.

"Aren't you a little too tall to have a piggyback ride?" the officer asked.

Offended, she jumped down and held what looked like a hammer and a sickle at his throat. He gulped.

"Be glad that I am NOT murdering you," she retorted. "But yeah..."

She then quickly swung her hammer, knocking him out cold.

"Nonna! Klara! Nina! Alina!"

"Yes!" all four girls replied.

"Let's go quickly to that island," she blurted out, before jumping back up again.

"Isn't she a little too big to do that?" Nina whispered to Alina.

Alina shrugged in silence.

* * *

 **100 miles southwest of the coast of San Diego**

 **San Diego, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"We are finally getting there," a girl with long, blond hair cackled. Despite her beautiful appearance, she had a strange tint that tainted her bright blue eyes.

"Now," she continued her monologue inside the bridge. "This is the time for I, the Great Pana Piper, to rise up and finally rule over as much land as possible!"

She laughed, as she directed the boat with a few sailors. All of them...had bloody-red headphones covering their ears, as they followed her commands mindlessly.

"But first!" she said to herself, gritting her teeth. "It appears that my best slaves, unlike these sailors...are not very easy to control..."

* * *

 **On the same ship, but in a different room at the back of the boat...**

" _Ja_ ," said a tall girl with short, dark brown hair. She had a serious demeanor, staring down at her teammates.

" _Ja_ ," a girl with light blond hair curtly replied.

She sighed.

"Nishizumi-san," she whispered. "I wish we can be free."

"Be strong and courageous," she replied. "And Erika-san, you can call me Maho-san."

"Ma-Ma...Maho-san," Erika managed to say it out, and the others heard and reciprocated.

Both girls sighed.

"Just when I was ready to become the future Commander of our school Senshadou," Erika groaned. "Now, we're trapped both by being Chosen, and by being mind controlled!"

She tapped at her own strange set of headphones, bloody-red and covering her ears. All others, including Maho, also had it on, but not by choice.

"Hold your tongue," Maho said, quieting. "I believe we will."

"But the whole world is against us!" Erika whispered furiously. "How can we even live to fulfill Senshadou?!"

"I trust that everything will go well," Maho replied.

She then turned to face the sky. Despite the sun, Maho's sharp eyes noticed a few stars, five in total.

She smiled.

"I believe they will," another girl said, coming up.

"Koume-san?" Maho asked, but with a smile.

She nodded in response.

"Then let us go as usual," said Maho. "We march forward. We now go, to the-"

Maho and all of her team felt it. The headphones that covered their ears vibrated, and they knew that feeling all too well.

"Remember my words!" she said quickly. "Stay your hands from anyone innocent, and do the right thing! Resist doing evil, and do right!"

Everybody nodded in reply, before the headphones finally took control, and the girls went out with weapons drawn, marching like soulless warriors bent on destruction.

* * *

 **Somewhere on a coastal highway**

 **Malibu, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"They're getting away!" an officer roared. "Hurry!"

A small group of Chosen Ones were fleeing, as they hopped up and down the cliffs.

"We can't reach them like this!" cried another. "We need-ARE THEY CRAZY?!"

The group of girls then plunged into the raging sea below, disappearing from view.

"No!" one of the officers roared, slamming his transmitter. "****! Now, we have to do this again!"

One of the Chosen Ones peeked her head out, eyeing the line of cruisers above, as some officers went out to check below. She hid behind one of the boulders near the cliff. After a while, the officers then disappeared.

"Chi-Ha-Tan!" she whispered.

All of her team came out of the ocean, spitting out water.

"We are now safe for now," she whispered. "We need to keep going."

"But where?" a short girl asked. "Kinuyo-san, we're scared."

"That's why we need to keep going," Kinuyo replied. "To the island."

"Agreed!" all of them replied, following their leader as they swam away.

* * *

 **Somewhere in an outskirt of the city**

 **San Diego, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"What the ****!" a military commander roared and cussed. "Who the **** managed to infiltrate our base!?"

"Three Chosen Ones did!" one of his subordinates radioed, and an explosion echoed in the distance. "They somehow overcame our defenses, and have run away with some valuable technologies!"

"Get them!" he roared, only to glimpse three figures flash by.

"Why you!" he gasped, as he took out his gun to try and fire at them. However, they soon disappeared, and he knew what they were doing.

"***!" he swore. "Who are they in the first place?"

"I recognize them!" one of the soldiers declared, panting from running.

"What is it?" he inquired, although he sounded more like angrily roaring at him.

"They're from the Senshadou Parade!" he gasped. "Three of them I recognize; representing the Jatkosota High School, they were Mika, Aki, and Mikko."

"Hmm," the commander suddenly became calm, as he mused on the revelation. He took out an old-looking smartphone, and pressed a button.

"Yes?" an ominous voice boomed from the phone.

"3-15-8-34," he replied.

"10-4," the voice confirmed, before shutting down.

The soldier gulped; he had no idea what that meant.

 _Simple_ , the commander snickered. _Three girls from Senshadou are here. Get all Senshadou, including the adults._

* * *

 **Flying south...**

 **Miles away from the coast of Los Santos**

 **Los Santos, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"We're coming for you," a little girl replied, clutching her Boko doll. "We-Alice, and my friends, Azumi, Megumi, and Rumi-we're coming for you."

Alice watched with her commanders, as they looked on. Megumi continued to pilot the helicopter, as they kept pressing forward.

"It took a while, right?" Rumi asked, sighing. "After escaping from authority after authority, now we're finally free to fly there."

"It is odd," Megumi replied. "That instead of letting us find out, we're going to be detained. We almost lost Alice-senpai, when the authorities actually tried to cuff her like a criminal."

"Good thing we're Chosen," Azumi said.

Alice nodded in silence, as metallic chains snaked from around her waist.

"But this feels weird," Alice admitted. "These chains...they act like snakes...Brrr!"

She shivered, which the other three noted, and secretly took pictures with their cameras, which were hidden inside of their cap hats. They snickered at each other, finding her antics cute.

"But now," Alice said, nodding. "We are finally going. Let's go."

* * *

XXXXX

* * *

 **Somewhere 500 miles to the west of San Diego**

 **San Diego, CA, USA**

 **12:00 PM; August 29, 20XX**

"This is blasphemy!"

A room was full of adults, with one of them banging on the table. He appeared cold, with a black suit and black glasses. However, his reaction was anything but cold.

"Well," his acquaintance replied, waving his personal fan. "Now, it looks like we are sort of like 'prisoners of war' after all. Japanese stuck in the US waters..."

"And for what?!" the man in black suit roared. "That they believe that all of our Senshadou girls are Chosen?! And then now they intend to 'reform' our very organization, all to try and capture our girls!?"

"We are indeed bait," a severe-looking woman with long, dark brown hair replied. Her cold, stern voice was ironically comforting to everyone inside; she gave them a sense of authority and autonomy.

Indeed, she was. Ever since the apocalypse ended, the whole organizations of the JSF and MEXT were now under "security." In reality, the JSF members felt like it was...

"It's internment camp all over again," she flatly declared, with a rare sign of anger and rage etched on her face. "Just as the US government interned Japanese-Americans for being Japanese during WWII, so we are detained for having connections with the members of the Senshadou."

"So now!" the man in black suit retorted, losing his cool. "First, they imprison you, our prestigious Nishizumi Shiho, all because they somehow found out that both of your daughters are Chosen! Then, they detain all of us! Chōno Ami! Shimada Chiyo-san! Kodama Shichiro! And now, all three of our best judges-Sasagawa Kanon, Inatomi Hibiki, and Takashima Remi-are all held with us! All for the suspicion of 'cooperating' with the Chosen Ones?!"

He slammed down his cup of sake, burning with rage. The others nodded in grim agreement.

"Please be calm," Shichiro said, fanning himself still. "Renta, I know that this is crazy, but we have to stay calm."

"Excuse me," Shiho suddenly said, getting up. "I will be back."

The others nodded, too angry to question her. She went out, and looked around.

The number of soldiers onboard had increased threefold, and now it felt more prison than personal ship. She sighed, as she went to the one place that she believed that even the soldiers refused to enter.

She entered the women's restroom, and without looking around, went into a toilet and sat down. She then carefully took out her tablet, and was ready to press the button.

"Attention!" the announcement blared over the broadcast system. "Due to electrical issues, we have to shut down the communications network. Please go to the bridge to request for phone calls and Internet usage."

She sighed.

"Disgusting," she retorted. "Now, I cannot even use my tablet. They're going Big Brother on us..."

 _Knock-knock!_

She hurriedly put her tablet into her purse, as three men blasted into the door.

 _No way!_ she gasped, her face paling. _They're checking even the women's restroom?! Heresy!_

"Dude!" one of the soldiers retorted. "This is the women's restroom!"

"Hey!" one of them replied. "Orders are orders."

"We don't need to mess this one," the first soldier said. "Anyway, this restroom is small; why not go and tell that this is secure?"

"Good point," the other two admitted. "I am glad to be spared of this."

They all left, and Shiho stayed still.

The lone soldier then walked over, and stood in front of the toilet door where Shiho was.

She stayed still, tense.

"Miss Nishizumi," he replied.

Shiho blinked, but stayed still.

"I know you're in there," he replied. "But let me tell you this; I am no fan of this job. Holding you all like hostages? Nope! This is not a good model of how we Americans should behave. Let me tell you this; I will ensure that this restroom will be free from security checks.

She blinked, but stayed silent.

"Have you noticed that nobody entered here until recently?" he asked.

Shiho thought for a while, then realized that he was speaking the truth. For almost 40 days in a row, nobody even dared to check the restroom, allowing her to have a few rare talks with Miho through her tablet.

"Somebody gave the tip," he replied. "That you were entering the restroom a little too...frequently. And I showed up with the group, and convinced the others to go away. Now, I am going to tell you..."

He approached closer.

"I am Sergeant Mordecai," he told her.

"Mordecai?" she asked, finally breaking her silence.

"I am with you," he said. "I strongly disapprove of treating you guests as hostages. I am greatly sorry for this; not all Americans are like this, but I cannot change the system. However, I know that your daughters are Chosen; they can change this...twisted system of order and disgusting laws."

She listened in silence, musing. Shiho then got up, and faced the sergeant, as she opened the door. He looked like any soldier, except with a few extra badges on his uniform. He pulled away his mask, showing his distinct hazel eyes and two distinct, mole-like birthmarks.

"Thank you for that," she replied. "From now on, I will be more careful."

"And I will keep you all guys with some privacy," Mordecai replied, and he walked out.

Shiho stood inside of the empty room, the white blocks reflecting some light. She sighed, as two streams came out of her eyes.

"Miho," she whispered. "I pray that you be safe."

Something glowed, and she turned around. It disappeared.

"I knew something is there," she noted. "I wonder..."

She went out, and was about to get to her group when she overheard a conversation.

"Senshadou?" a soldier grunted. "Pah! A ridiculous sport about girls driving old tanks for fun? You know perfectly well that it's a dying sport!"

"What do you mean?" the other asked. "It's an unusual thing, you know?"

Suddenly curious, Shiho leaned closely to a wall, eavesdropping.

"Tankery is already extinct in the US!" the first soldier blurted out. "And now, they're trying to revive it by bringing the biggest representatives, the Japanese, in order to showcase their way of combat. Pah! What a bunch of morons, I hate that President!"

"Speaking of him," the other asked. "Where is he?"

"He's somewhere in a safe lair," the first uttered. "Apparently, some Chosen Ones tried to take away his life. Fearing that he would be assassinated, they put him somewhere, and I don't know where."

"Senshadou is not extinct," the other replied. "Even in the US! But to be honest...yeah, it's an endangered sport. After all, it got more prominent only because of that little girl's upset wins over Kuromorimine and even the Selection University."

Shiho listened more closely.

"So what?!" the rude-sounding soldier spat. "That girl is toast! You know perfectly well that there are a few individuals, not only in America, but also in China and elsewhere, that are actually trying to destroy the very sport of Senshadou!"

"What? How?" the nicer soldier asked in disbelief.

The rude soldier rolled his eyes.

"Assassination, of course!" he answered.

She twitched.

"First, they seek to kill both Miho and Maho," said the rude soldier. "The two biggest representatives of Senshadou, then take Shiho's life. That's one reason why we're keeping them trapped here! Plus, a new sport is coming out, supposed to surpass Senshadou as the coolest mechanical sport of all times!"

"And what is that?" the nice soldier asked.

"It's something even I don't know!" the rude soldier spat. "But definitely bigger and better than tank-sport! Man, I hope to see tanks go extinct!"

He laughed maniacally.

"Shush!" the nice soldier tried to quiet him. "Or else our captain will come and admonish us!"

Then, the conversation digressed into meaningless talk. However, it was more than enough for even her to bear.

Shiho silently walked away for at least 20 m, then collapsed with her back to the boat's wall. Sitting on the deck...

She wept.

"Miho," she said, sniffing. "And Maho. Please be alive. Save us. Save Senshadou..."

* * *

 **If you are curious, this is a cliffhanger. You know what that means...**

 **It's so obvious, so I am not going to spoil it.**

 **So then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


	32. Afterword

**Greetings from SeekerMeeker.**

* * *

 **Girls Dead Rise**

 **Afterword**

It's been a while since Christmas Day. If you are wondering what has happened, then the "Girls Dead Rise: War of California" has officially finished. Thank you to everyone who has contributed.

I know that writing is NOT the most admired writing in the world, but it was through the pen that great change has been wrought upon the world. See the writings of the Bible and the Qur'an, creating the world's largest religions. See the writings of the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and the US Constitution, leading to modern-day democracies of the world. And see the writings of individuals like Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Beecher Stowe, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis, whose books influenced modern-day thought and imagination.

And so, this is my afterword: writing is serious business, but it is also fun. Just like writing, I have gone through ups and downs, having to quit on at least two stories, such as the "Despicable Girls" and the "Welcome to America, GuP," as I experiment. And now, finally, the first long story I have finished. Thank you for all your hard work and cooperation, friends and strangers alike.

Am I done?

No.

I am now in the researching phase, in order to start on my standalone sequel to this story. Anyone who reads this is free to contribute, by messaging me directly.

* * *

Yes, please message me directly, instead of reviewing on this. However, if you want to review, please review on Chapter 30 and/or the Epilogue. **The Afterword may be removed, so please read carefully!**

* * *

As the year 2017 draws to a close, it's a crazy time of my life, since graduating from university/college and now living in the real world. But guess what? Through it all, I thank all of your for your support, and above all, I thank my God-the Father of my life, Jesus Christ, and the ever-voicing Holy Spirit-for all your guidance throughout these times.

Regardless of who you are, may God bless all of you, and Happy New Year!

 **"Panzer vor!"**


End file.
